The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki
by Dragonwannabe
Summary: Vampires in Konoha? That's not the only horror Naruto must deal with in between his most important personal mission courting Hinata, the eldest daughter of the proud Hyuga clan. Sequel to: EMDN
1. No rest for the weary

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

I. No rest for the weary

Lee paced the small room like a caged beast.

Naruto studied him with bleary eyes trying hard not to fall asleep. It was nearly midnight, and he'd been asleep about an hour when Lee came pounding on his door swirling into the room as if there were demons on his tail. He didn't have the energy or presence of mind to protest so he'd simply stepped aside then shut the door and dropped back down on his bed.

His room was small and the only place to sit besides the bed was the chair at the small table in his little kitchenette area. His room was just a place he slept, changed, and sometimes ate. He never spent much time in it, and he rarely had guests. Since he'd been away on a mission for almost a week it wasn't in the best condition, but he didn't think his guest cared how bad his house keeping was. It didn't look like his guest cared about anything except pacing.

Naruto yawned widely and loudly, but it didn't disrupt his guest's pacing by as much as a misstep. He considered taking the chair instead of the bed to give himself a better chance of waking up, but the bed had looked so comfortable and inviting he just wanted to crawl back under the covers. So he'd left the only other possible seat for his guest to park himself whenever he got tired of pacing. Even he knew the rudiments of being a good host—especially when it suited his purposes.

As he watched his guest, Naruto noticed the ways Lee had changed and not changed from the gawky miniature Guy clone he'd been six years ago. He was now tall, slim-hipped and broad-shouldered. He had a finely honed muscular figure from his intense workouts over the years to improve his only ninja skill—taijutsu. His physique was even more impressive than the man he most admired—his sensei, Might Guy. He owed everything he was today to Guy from his style and habits to his zealous dedication to his craft. Since Guy had accepted him as a genin, he'd worn the same green body suit as his mentor, and he'd groomed his identically colored black hair in the same bowl style. His greatest resemblance to his sensei, the thick, black eyebrows had never changed, but there the facial similarities ended. Whereas Guy might be considered ruggedly handsome with his broadly chiseled features, Lee's fine, smaller features definitely made him boyishly handsome. Right now his troubled expression made him seem much younger than his nearly twenty years.

Naruto had been trying to watch Lee move around his room like a top for only a few minutes, but the guy made him feel dizzy. (It never occurred to him that he was ordinarily just as irritatingly active when fully awake.) He'd thought to just close his eyes for a moment, but he jerked them open when he felt his head nod. He looked sharply at Lee to see if he'd noticed, but he seemed to still be wrapped up in his own little kinetic world. He wasn't ready to acknowledge his host or his reason for being there.

He leaned back against the headrest of his bed, drew up his knees and draped his arms over them. He thought that position was just uncomfortable enough to keep him from sliding back down under the covers and zonking out. Eventually Lee was bound to notice his completely comatose host, and he'd be rudely awakened again. He might as well try to stay awake until Lee had had his say. If he was lucky, he'd be quick and gone before Naruto could completely lose his pleasantly drowsy state.

He watched and waited for a few more minutes, but staying awake was becoming a major problem. Before he started snoring which would be a dead give away, Naruto shook himself more awake, and stifling a yawn he finally asked, "So what's up, Lee? Couldn't whatever this is wait until morning? I've been walking all day. I could use a good night's sleep in a nice soft bed." He didn't mean to, but his voice sort of ended in a complaining whine. He liked Lee. He was generally glad to see him, but he'd been woken up in the wrong part of his sleep cycle. He felt dull and really tired. All he could think about was going back to sleep.

Lee stopped momentarily, and turned towards Naruto. "No. It can not. I have been awaiting your return for two days. I only found out you were back when I met Choji a little while ago. I remembered that you had been on the same mission. Choji said your mission went well, and there was no fighting involved. I thought you would be rested from such an easy mission. I thought you would still be awake at this time. I must talk with you now."

"Yeah, well, there may not've been much fighting, but it wasn't an easy mission until the end. Not fighting is almost as tiring as lots of fighting—just in a different way. Any way, I thought I'd get some rest between missions. Who knows what Granny Tsunade has up her sleeve for me next? Plus I have a big day planned tomorrow." Which as far as he was concerned was the most important consideration. He had his biggest day ever tomorrow, and it had nothing to do with a mission. Tomorrow he had his first real date with Hinata.

Team Shikamaru had returned from their mission at about 8 pm. (See Elementary, my dear Naruto.) He'd wanted to walk Hinata home, but Shikamaru apparently lived in her direction and made the offer first. Hiding his disappointment behind a gruff good-bye, he'd walked along with Choji until their paths diverged. He'd grabbed a quick bite at his favorite ramen stand on the way home thinking about all the things he had to do tomorrow before his big date.

Clean clothes was on the top of the list. If he dropped his stuff off at the laundry early in the morning, he'd have something clean to wear that evening even if he had to pay a little extra.

Next he had to buy some groceries. A guy could possibly live on ramen breakfast, lunch and dinner, but even he liked a little variety. He at least needed fresh milk for his morning cereal.

Next he should clean up his place. Of course, he didn't expect to bring Hinata back to his little room on a first date—or ever. It was small, cramped and there was nothing to do there. However, a ninja had to be prepared for any contingency.

Last but not least, he needed to talk to the Fifth. He had to clear his and Hinata's schedules for the next few days. He didn't want any surprise missions for either of them until they'd had a few dates. He wanted some security in his relationship with Hinata before either of them disappeared for any length of time on a mission. The time they'd been separated for seven weeks while she recuperated (see Operation: Bring home Naruto) had been the longest weeks of his life. He hadn't known anything—how she was, when she was coming back, how she felt about him. He didn't want to suffer that kind of insecurity again.

Then after all that was taken care of, he'd have his date to look forward to. He'd pick Hinata up later in the afternoon. They were spending the rest of the day and evening together—with no missions or team mates to get in the way. He'd finally have the time to just be with her, talk with her, laugh with her—and well some other things that made him feel hot just thinking about. That's as far as he'd gotten in planning his date. He'd leave the details to her. They could do whatever she wanted. He didn't care. He'd never been on a real date before. He didn't want to screw up this very important first date by doing something boring or stupid. Right now, he wished he could just go to sleep so he was well rested for tomorrow, however the sound of Lee's voice unfortunately brought him back to the present.

"I will not keep you long." Lee paced back and forth again before continuing. "Naruto, I need your help. You are the only one who _can_ help me."

"Sure, Lee, what can I do?" If he'd been more awake he might have been more cautious in his promise, but then again, he didn't know the meaning of the word caution under any circumstances. He was, also not the type to say no when someone asked him for help. So his response would probably have been the same no matter what.

Lee stopped in front of him and stared at him with dark pleading eyes. "Naruto, will you talk to Sakura for me?"

He drew back in alarm, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut a minute ago. "Unh? Talk to Sakura? _Me!?_ You're the one engaged to her. Why can't _you_ talk to her?"

"I do not know if I am engaged anymore." He finally sat down, slumped dejectedly in the wooden chair, and put his head in his hands.

Naruto sat up. "Unh? What do you mean? What happened?"

"We had a fight. I do not know what to do," he groaned.

A fight? Lee and Sakura? Naruto could picture Sakura having a fight with almost anyone, but not Lee—at least not with Sakura. Lee worshipped the ground she walked on. What was there to fight about? Hadn't Lee always given in to her on everything? Oh well, he'd never know unless he asked. Lee certainly wasn't getting to the point any time soon. He was too busy being dejected. "Don't all couples fight? Isn't that part of getting to know each other? It can't be that bad. What did you fight about?"

Lee took a deep breath. "I told her I wanted her to stop going on missions away from the village. She did not need to go out on dangerous missions any more. I thought she should concentrate on her medical training. The medical aspects of her training are more important. I told her she should stay in the village once we are married."

"You told Sakura _that_?" he asked incredulously sitting bolt upright. His mind boggled over what Lee had said.

"Yes, I did."

"You _told_ Sakura that?" he asked again with a different emphasis. Which ever way he said it—it was impossible to believe.

Lee raised his head and said impatiently, "That is what I said, Naruto. Exactly those words."

Naruto fell back against the bed. "Oh, man, you're either really really brave or really really stupid. Nobody tells Sakura anything—not any more—except maybe Granny Tsunade. How hard did she hit you?"

"She did not raise her hand to me. Sakura has never raised her hand to me. She would never do such a thing. She is a sweet and gentle woman. Violence is not in her nature," he defended indignantly.

Naruto shook his head in continued disbelief. "We're talking about Sakura Haruno, right? The girl with a punch that can level a mountain? Granny Tsunade's apprentice? That Sakura, right?"

"Naruto, do not speak to me as if I am an idiot. You should know her better than anyone. You have been her team mate since you were both genin."

"Yeah, sure, but I can't say I really know her according to your definition." He found it difficult to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Love was completely blinding this guy. The Sakura Lee described certainly wasn't the one he was familiar with. Even when he _liked_ her he hadn't been that deluded.

Lee continued oblivious to Naruto's explanation. "I do not know why she had ever chosen to become a ninja. It is not a family profession. She is not suited for such difficult, punishing work. Oh, I know she has accomplished many incredible things as a kunoichi. I do not deny that she has talent, but is not her talent better applied to medicine? I ask you, Naruto—you know her better than I."

"Oh yeah, I know her. I've been on the receiving end of that sweet, gentle woman's punch many times. Since she'd been training with Granny Tsunade, I've stayed far away from her gentle reach. Man, if I _told_ Sakura anything she didn't like I'd be hurtin' real bad. I probably wouldn't be out of the hospital for a week."

Lee frowned at him his thick eyebrows beetling. "I am certain you exaggerate, Naruto. My Sakura would never deliberately hurt an innocent. She would not resort to violence except as a necessity. You know that. If she had occasion to use force upon you, you must have provoked her unduly. She treats you just as she would a brother. Do not joke with me. I have come to you because of your long term acquaintance with my Sakura. I was certain you would know what to do."

"Yeah, well, I hate to disappoint you—but what do you want me to do? I'm not going to get involved in anything that will get me hurt. I like you Lee, but I won't do that even for you."

"That will never happen," he assured earnestly. "Please, Naruto, I wish for you to make her see my side of this issue. Surely, you understand how I feel? Would you wish to see the woman you love return from missions with contusions, lacerations. abrasions and even broken limbs? It is more than I can bear to see my delicate flower bruised and broken so horribly. I want her protected. _I _want to protect her. I would protect her with my very _life_."

Naruto thought about his own anxiety when Hinata was in danger, and he could completely understand Lee's feelings. However, telling her what to do was another matter entirely. He wondered if Hinata would be as unreasonable about the matter under the same circumstances. Would he have the same gall as Lee to ask her to quit her job if they were ever to become engaged? That interesting thought made him want to grin like a fool, and wallow in a pleasant daydream. However, he managed to contain his silly fancies, turn his grin into a frown, and concentrate on Lee's problem.

Unfortunately, he had no real words of wisdom to offer. He'd just really like to back gracefully out of his spontaneous promise to help. "Lee, if I were you I'd just buy her some flowers and apologize," he advised practically.

"What do you mean? I can not do that. Do you not understand how difficult it is to imagine Sakura in danger? Do you not know how I worry when she is gone from my side? Do you not comprehend the anxiety and fear I experience imagining all sorts of horrible things happening to her? You must make her see reason," Lee insisted in outrage, his hands fisted, and his body tensed as if to spring.

Naruto held up his hands as if to ward off a blow. The guy just didn't get it. His case was hopeless, but Naruto didn't want to get him mad. He'd have to humor the crazy guy. "Sure, I can see how hard it would be. I get where you're coming from, but Lee you completely misunderstand my relationship with Sakura. There is no way she'd listen to me if she won't listen to you. I'm the last person she'd listen to. Believe me. Sakura has never listened to me in her life," Naruto explained patiently.

Lee put his head in his hands. "If you do not help me, I do not know what to do. I can not give her my blessing to go on missions, to risk her life, her health, and her beautiful body. I can not do this, Naruto. She must understand how I feel."

"Hey, you've been okay with it up to now. You knew she was a kunoichi from the day you met her. What's different now?"

"I was not engaged to Sakura before. I had no right to voice my concerns at that time. I have never enjoyed the thought or sight of her in danger, but I had put it out of my mind in the past because I had no right to say anything. Now I have that right, but still I did not immediately voice my concerns. I know her job is important to her. I have tried to say nothing. For many months I have suffered in silence, but I could contain myself no longer. When we discussed our future together, I had to let her know of my feelings in this matter. I could no longer hide my worries from her. My vision of the future did not involve her risking her life."

Naruto settled down more comfortably on the bed. Finally, he was fully awake. And now that Lee was talking rather than pacing out his problem he didn't think he'd easily fall asleep on the guy. But he wasn't sure he was awake enough to convince Lee that his strategy was doomed for failure. Instead, he was afraid he was the doomed one. He had to try to think of some way out of this.

Maybe this was why there seemed to be so few married kunoichi. It would take a really strong, secure, special guy to allow his wife to take part in dangerous missions. It was natural to want to protect the usually frailer females. When he was a genin, he remembered how often he and their other team mate Sasuke would take on the tougher aspects of their missions to shield Sakura. She hadn't been as physically able as they were in those days. Her talents had lain in other directions such as chakra control and genjutsu. She was completely different now.

Even Lee might not be able to match the strength she'd learned to wield from the Fifth. It was pretty awesome, but not subtle. Sometimes might wasn't enough when fighting a skilled or gifted ninja. Kekkei genkai abilities as well as skilled genjutsu power could defeat brute strength. It was actually her medical skills that were more valuable in the long run. However, since her apprenticeship to the Fifth, she'd become a formidable kunoichi. She'd be a welcome asset to any team even with just medical skills. Lee wasn't really thinking straight if he thought she'd be kept in the village with those skills. It was the Fifth who had developed the idea of providing each team with a skilled medic. As her protégé, Sakura fit the bill perfectly.

"Well, you've got no rights if you're not engaged anymore. Maybe you should hold off on this fight until you're married," he suggested another tack that would leave him entirely out of the situation.

Lee frowned at him. "That would be dishonest, Naruto. I wish for Sakura to know my feelings in advance. I view an engagement to be just as binding to the parties involved as a marriage. I would not hide my true feelings from her until we are completely tied. That would not be honorable."

He shrugged. So much for that idea. "So you told her—and she told you right back. She's not giving up her kunoichi standing. What do you think I can do about that?"

"She is angry with me now. She will not speak to me. She is not angry with you. You will espouse my cause, Naruto."

"I told you that's not gonna work. She's not gonna listen to me," he repeated a little less patiently.

"But you will try. Please, Naruto," Lee pleaded.

"It's a waste of time."

"Please, Naruto."

He sighed. Lee was looking at him like a homeless puppy. How could he possibly say no? He seemed to be the guy's only hope. Too bad it was hopeless. "Okay, I'll see what I can do, but I'll tell you right now I don't see Sakura giving up her job until she has no choice—like say—to have a baby."

Lee's eyes brightened. "I did not think of that. We can start a family immediately. We can have many children. That will keep her too busy to go out on missions."

Naruto grinned. "The old barefoot and pregnant ploy. It might work or it might backfire on you."

"What do you mean?"

"You could be the one staying home with the kids while Sakura keeps her job. Think about that."

"I am a man. Would she really trust me to take care of the children?"

"Hey, you're a caring, sensitive guy. I'd trust you to look after my kids—if I had any. You could be a teacher like Iruka sensei."

Lee shook his head. "Not without genjutsu and ninjutsu."

"Taijutsu is just as important. You've proven that a ninja can be effective with that skill alone," he argued.

Lee shook his head again. "I could not win against the best ninja who possessed all three."

"You've done some awesome fighting without genjutsu or ninjutsu. Besides, Guy sensei wouldn't have taken you on if he didn't think you had better than average abilities. Remember that."

Lee's eyes brightened again. "That is true. Guy sensei had great faith in me. Without him I would never have been accepted as a ninja candidate." He stared thoughtfully at the floor then looked up to frown at Naruto. "We have gotten away from the pertinent subject. It does not matter if I am capable of teaching. It is Sakura we must focus on. I could not stay safely in the village while she risked her life. If she fights, I fight—but she must not fight."

Naruto sighed. Lee was like a dog with a bone—he wanted to gnaw on it until it was gone, and heaven help anyone who tried to take it away. "I'll talk to her. I promise, but I've got to tell you again—be prepared for the worst."

Lee paled. "The worst?"

"I mean—that Sakura won't give up her job. Can you handle the worry and anxiety? 'Cause that's what it'll mean. If not, you'll just have to deal with it or break it off with her, and find yourself some non-kunoichi to marry."

He squared his shoulders. "There is no one for me but Sakura. If I must accept that she will forever be a kunoichi—so be it. I would rather be with Sakura worry and all then be without her. I just hope she will be sensible and finally agree with me—once you speak with her Naruto."

Naruto shook his head. "Man, you're asking a lot even from your perfect Sakura. Don't forget she's a woman. Women just don't think like we do. And if they did we probably wouldn't like them."

"I would like Sakura no matter what," he said staunchly.

"Like and love are two different things. Do you like her or love her or both? You're gonna have a rough time if it's not both." There were many times when he didn't actually like Sakura—especially when she punched him.

"It is. I both love and like Sakura. I would not change a thing about her."

"That's good, because she ain't gonna change. Remember that before I even try to talk to her, Lee." He had to try warning him again. Maybe the third time would be the charm. He'd be really really relieved if only Lee told him to forget the whole thing.

"Yes, thank you, Naruto. If anyone can persuade her it is you," he said with utmost confidence. He seemed almost happy now that he'd wrung that promise from Naruto not once but several times.

Naruto almost groaned. The guy just wasn't listening. He'd tried everything but hit him over the head to give him the hint that the love of his life was one strong, stubborn, independent woman. But Lee didn't see her that way at all. He viewed her completely differently than Naruto did. Even when he thought he liked her a lot, he never saw her as gentle or delicate. And she was never sweet to him. Poor Lee, he was a goner and couldn't even see it. They probably didn't even have a real fight. Sakura probably thought everything was settled—her way.

He had to make damn sure he wasn't within her reach when he talked to her. She wasn't gonna like it. Not one bit. Poor Lee. He was in for a major disappointment, a rude awakening, and a lifetime of worry. Naruto didn't envy him one bit. He was relieved that he'd transferred his affections to someone who really was sweet, delicate and gentle. Poor deluded Lee.


	2. It's a girl

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

II. It's a girl

Laundry was done.

Groceries were bought.

Room was cleanish.

Naruto was ready to take on the last task on his list before his date—and that task had nothing to do with talking to Sakura. Lee hadn't pinned him down to a definite date or time for his talk, so he'd been making his way around the village very carefully to avoid running into Sakura or Lee. He didn't have the time or the brain space to deal with Lee's little problem today. Most of his thoughts were on his date with Hinata. He really didn't want to think about anything else. Especially Lee and Sakura. They were so far down on his list he wouldn't start feeling guilty until sometime tomorrow.

The trickiest place he had to go that day was the ninja complex where the Fifth had her office on the top floor. If he had the slightest chance of running into Sakura or Lee anywhere it would be there. That's where off-duty ninja often hung out. That's where the medics trained. That's where the Fifth held meetings with the town council and/or jônin, chûnin and genin. That's where ninja assignments were handed out. That's where ninja filed mission reports or researched missions. That building was the hub of all ninja activity. If he managed to sneak up to the Fifth's office without anyone seeing him, then he could really call himself a ninja no question about it.

He tried not to remember the last time he was supposed to be sneaky and failed miserably, but he couldn't erase it from his memory. It was during the written test of the chûnin exam. How was he to know that he was supposed to deliberately cheat while not getting caught? He'd been so hung up on the penalty for getting caught that he couldn't cheat even when Hinata had practically stuck her exam full of lovely answers in his face. He'd been completely clueless and naïve back then. He'd come a long way since those days, but cheating still wasn't in his nature. Sneaky, however, was a completely different matter. He had no qualms with sneaky. He'd had years to work on his sneaky skills. That didn't mean he could claim it as one of his actual skills, but he'd worked on it. Ninja just called it by different names—stealth, covert, undercover, hidden were some of the words they preferred. He simply thought of it as sneaky.

Sneaking into the ninja complex without anyone seeing him should have been damned difficult. There should have been ninja patrolling, ninja on guard duty, ninja just hanging out, regular ninja or Anbu black ops everywhere. However, when Naruto peered around a building across the street to covertly survey his objective, he saw absolutely no one coming in or out of the building. He found that very strange.

He made his way carefully around and behind the building to survey the area from a secluded vantage point. Again he saw no one.

He made his way carefully and cautiously to the back entrance. It was unlocked and unguarded. He slipped quietly inside, stopped and listened.

He heard no voices, no foot steps, no doors opening or closing, nothing to indicate that the building was even occupied, not even a pin drop. It was early afternoon not long past the usual lunch hour. There should have been ninja returning from lunch at least. Where were they?

Softly, he walked up the stairs, hugging the wall, pausing periodically to listen, but still heard nothing.

When he reached the Fifth's floor, there was still no sign of anyone by sight or sound. He found that even stranger. If no place else in the building, surely there would be ninja demanding the Hokage's attention? Where was Shizune? She was the Hokage's personal assistant. Surely, she'd be traipsing in and out of the Hokage's office on errands or to check up on her boss? He'd never come up here without seeing Shizune running around.

As a matter of fact, he usually saw Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuku running around the place, too. They were also the Fifth's general gophers and jacks-of-all-trades. He didn't remember seeing them pulling guard duty at the front gate when Team Shikamaru had returned home last night. He didn't remember seeing anyone at the gate. He should have found that odd, but he hadn't given it a thought.

Again he hugged the walls, tread carefully, and listened for the presence of other ninja. He'd never heard the place so quiet. He had a bad feeling about this which only got worse as he got closer to the Hokage's office. No one even crept up behind him which should have been just his luck while trying to be sneaky. He couldn't believe he was actually succeeding in his attempt. What was going on? If he could sneak up here to the Hokage's office anyone could. This wasn't good.

Finally, he reached her door.

It was closed.

He placed his ear against the wooden surface to listen for any evidence that Lee or Sakura or anyone might be inside. He strained to hear anything. He was concentrating so hard that when a voice finally called out from inside the room he almost fell over.

"Naruto! Get in here!" the dulcet tones of the Hokage sounded through the thick wood of the door.

Naruto quickly recovered and pushed open the door. "How did you know I was out there? I didn't make a single sound."

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "You're as quiet as a herd of elephants."

"That's so wrong! I was as quiet as a—a herd of clouds. How did you know it was me?" he demanded.

She smiled wickedly at him. "I have my ways."

"That's no answer! How did you know?" he insisted. He'd been as silent as he'd ever been in his life. There was no way she could have heard him through the door.

"Did you honestly think you could sneak in here without anyone knowing? Really, Naruto, this building is well protected from stealth attacks. I know exactly who enters here, and from which entrance. When you're Hokage you'll discover the exact nature of this building's defenses—until then, remember that you can not sneak up on me in this building. Don't even try."

Naruto studied her thoughtfully. He hated secrets. He found Hokage secrets to be an especial anathema. Those were secrets he needed to have to achieve his ambition. "So it's not a ninjutsu ability? It's got something to do with the building itself?"

"That's very astute of you, but don't strain yourself. You'll never figure it out, and I won't tell so give it up. Let's just say, you tripped off the hidden alarms when you sneaked into the back entrance. I've been waiting for you to get up here. What took you so long?"

He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well, there's someone or rather some people I didn't want to run into. So I was being careful."

Tsunade relaxed behind her desk and eyed her visitor with interest. "Is that so? Are you having woman trouble, Naruto?"

He started. "How did you—it's nothing like that! I made a promise to a friend and—well, I'm not ready to meet up with a certain person yet. I'm just not ready to make good on that promise yet. Okay?"

"Someone you thought you'd run into here? I see." She stared at him just as thoughtfully as he'd done her only moments ago. "Tell me, Naruto, are you okay with Sakura's engagement. I know you had a crush on her."

"Oh yeah, when I was a kid. I'm so over that. Say—how did you know?" She was getting pretty good at guessing all about his thoughts, emotions and life. Had she been studying fortune telling on the side?

She smiled. "I knew it the first time I saw the two of you together. She's a remarkable girl, but you two would never have made it as a couple. You're too much alike."

"Who—me and Sakura? No way. She's a brainiac. I'm just average."

"Not in that way, although I think you underrate your intellectual abilities. No, I was thinking that you're both quick tempered and hard headed. You both need partners who are less confrontational."

Naruto thought about that a minute. That analysis didn't bode well for Lee. How much more confrontational could you be than to come out and tell Sakura not to do something that she wants to do? Maybe the Hokage would be the better one to give him or Sakura advice. Once he struck out talking to Sakura himself, he'd make that suggestion to Lee. It probably wouldn't be a good idea for him to bring it up to the Hokage for Lee. That was getting more involved than he wanted to.

"Yeah, well, about that. I was hoping—that is—I thought—maybe—"

"Spit it out, Naruto."

He took a deep breath and said quickly. "Okay, I thought you could give me a week or so off—oh, and Hinata, too."

She smiled that smile Naruto didn't like. It was like she knew something he didn't know. It was a smile at his expense not smiling with him. "Sit down, Naruto. Let's have a little chat."

He eyed her with foreboding. "You said that to me once before. I can't remember if it had good or bad consequences."

"Sit down and find out."

"I don't know—" he dithered.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, just sit down!" she ordered. "Sitting or standing won't make any difference, but I have a few things to say to you."

He was quick to pull up a chair, and sit down.

"About those few weeks you want off—I'd certainly like to approve your request, but we're a little short-handed right now. You may have noticed that there were no ninja on business or hanging idly around the complex."

"Yeah, I did notice that."

"I've had to assign most of the experienced jônin to a special mission. The mission could last several weeks or months. I won't be certain until I begin receiving reports."

"What's going on?"

"Your team wasn't here for the briefing I held a few days ago. Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata were all here early this morning to file their reports on your mission, so they've been briefed. I've been waiting for you to finally show up, Naruto," she said sternly. "You're the last ninja on the active list who hasn't heard the details."

He flushed. "I—ah—had a few things to do first. I knew Shikamaru would give a thorough account of our mission so I'd have very little to add. I'm here now, so I can take care of it now." He started to rise.

"Just one moment—we have more to talk about. Don't you want to here about the special mission most of the jônin have been assigned?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." He dropped back into his seat. He hoped this wouldn't take to long if he needed to write his report. He hated this part of a mission. It seemed like busy work to him. Plus, he was due at Hinata's in just a few hours.

She placed her elbows on her desktop, linked her fingers and rested her chin in the center. "Recently, I've been receiving information that a new hidden village has appeared in the island Country of Stone. I've heard that they've been training and amassing a small army. If this is true, then I need to know how big their army is, what their skills are, and who they intend to attack. If it involves us or one of our allies then our village will eventually become involved. I need factual information, so I've sent out all the older, experienced jônin to discover the facts. I'm especially relying on those with battle experience. Since this is a mission of my design, there will be no profits coming into the village from the mission. I think the younger jônin, chûnin and genin can handle any missions that I decide to accept during this time as well as guard the village. So you see, Naruto, I can't promise you any time off. I might need you for a mission any time now."

A war. What if they were involved in a war? They'd only recently recovered from that time six years ago when Orochimaru and the Sand Village had attacked them. They still weren't up to full strength. Even their experienced jônin were under thirty-five. He hated the idea of losing any one of them. They were all valuable as teachers and mentors. Naruto hadn't even made jônin yet. He wasn't prepared to take the place of any one of them.

And what about his plans for the future? A war wouldn't leave him with much time to pursue a personal life. Maybe he should wait on that—or maybe he should just live in the moment. If he postponed his life until everything was peaceful, he probably wouldn't have a life. It might be months or years before anything happened. Life was too short to wait on anything. He had to grab all he could while he was young and healthy. "But you could spare me—us for a few days, couldn't you? I mean—we'd be in the village if you needed us for something important. Right?"

She smiled. "Since I'm not accepting very many missions just now, it's possible. If you and Hinata agree to take on some guard duty, I don't see why I can't omit you from outside missions for the time being."

"Could you schedule us on the same shifts?"

"That can be arranged."

He relaxed. "Great. I guess I'll go look at Shikamaru's report now." He started to rise again.

"Wait, Naruto. There's something else I need to discuss with you. It came up while you were gone." She watched him sit back down. She leaned back in her own chair, and steepled her hands much the way Shikamaru did when he was thinking out a problem.

Naruto waited as patiently as he could for the Hokage to speak again. He started drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair. He stretched out his legs, crossed his feet at the ankles and wiggled them back and forth. He looked around the room avoiding Tsunade's steady brown stare. He didn't know what was up with her, but he felt like a specimen. He didn't like the feeling. He was never going to sit down in her office again. Only bad things came from spending too much time with the Fifth. If she was trying to read his mind, he'd keep it deliberately blank. She seemed to know everything about him anyway without him opening his mouth. However, if she didn't say something soon, he was going to explode.

Luckily for her, she said something soon. "Naruto, 18 years ago when the nine-tailed fox attacked this village, I was no longer in residence. I heard the stories about what happened, but I had no first hand knowledge. I'd heard how the Fourth saved Konoha, and how you were the instrument of its salvation. I only knew one member of the Uzumaki family living in the village, but when I returned you were the only family member left."

He felt a lump in his throat. It had been a long time since he'd thought about his family. No one had ever told him anything about the Uzumaki's. He knew nothing about his mother and father or whether there were other members of the family still alive somewhere. He'd learned to live alone, rely on himself, and make friends where he could. He'd wanted more—so much more, but he'd never allowed himself the luxury of needing more. He was too old to cry about it now, but he'd shed many tears when he was an unwanted, lonely child.

"What does it matter now? You can't change anything," he said gruffly.

"Oh, but you're wrong. Things have changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto, four days ago, a girl walked into this village, and was brought to my office. She told me her name was Naomi Uzumaki. She was 14 years old, and she'd lived all her life in a small, remote village about as far from Konoha as you can get, and still be a part of the Fire County. Her parents died from an influenza outbreak when she was five. She'd been cared for by a woman she called her aunt, but was actually no relation. That woman died recently, but told her to come to Konoha before she did so."

"Unh? What? Who is she? What is she to me?" he asked in a dazed voice. Could he really have family after all this time?

"From what I can figure out, she's your cousin."

"What do you mean from what you can figure out?"

"I don't understand why, but the Third left no detailed records of your family. I've search the record room thoroughly. I've talked to the older ninja who were in Konoha during the attack of the nine-tailed fox. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu are the only adult ninja from that time still alive, and they don't know many the details. Apparently, the Third made all the decisions and arrangements after the Fourth's death on his own."

"What about her—my cousin—Naomi—what does she know?" he asked urgently.

"Not very much. The only other person besides the Fifth who might have known anything about the Uzumaki family was the woman who cared for Naomi—Yukari Sarutobi."

"Sarutobi? Was she related to the Third?"

"She was his wife."

"What? But how?"

"We'll never know that for sure now. It was assumed that Yukari Sarutobi was killed by the nine-tailed. Naomi has a picture. It was definitely the Yukari Sarutobi I remembered even though I'd not seen her for 20 years. So that much of her story is true."

"Then how do you know she's really my cousin? She could be an imposter," he said glumly. Of course, this was too good to be true. Besides a 14 year old girl wasn't the kind of family he'd craved all life. A mother, a father or an uncle would have been more valuable to him than some barely teenaged girl.

She smiled. "Naturally, we'll run blood tests to be certain, but I think you'll find the family resemblance quite remarkable."

"What do you mean?"

"She looks just like you Naruto—or at least a female version of you. And if the Uzumaki genes breed true you're in for a lively relationship."

He scowled. "I don't believe it."

"For now, you'll pretend to. I'd like you to keep an eye on the girl in case her story may not be true—or completely true."

"But Granny Tsunade—I don't have the room at my place for a girl! I'm not a babysitter. How am I supposed to take care of a teenage girl?" he protested. Why couldn't his would-be cousin have been a boy? He could handle a boy cousin, but not a girl.

"She's been staying with me while Shizune is on that special mission. She can continue to stay with me and Shizune. We've got plenty of room. I want you to take charge of her during the days you aren't pulling guard duty. You can leave her with me in the evenings."

"But what will I do with her?"

"Show her around the village. Introduce her to your friends. Yukari Sarutobi had begun ninja training with her. Once I decide that she is who she says she is, I'll send her to school to complete her training."

"Isn't she a little old for school?"

"If she has any talent, she'll quickly graduate from ninja school, and be accepted as a genin. You could give her a little training yourself. Test her skills. Try to teach her some new ones. It will be good teaching practice for you."

"But—I'm meeting Hinata—I can't bring a cousin on a—I can't take her with me today. Come on, Granny Tsuande, give me a break. Let me start taking her around with me tomorrow."

She frowned at him. "I thought you'd be pleased to discover a new relative. I thought you'd be happy to know you aren't the only Uzumaki. I'm surprised at you. Is this the sort of welcome you should give family? She was very excited to discover that she had a cousin. She's been asking me hundreds of questions about _you_."

Now he was feeling guilty. He should have been happy and excited, too. Instead, he felt suddenly burdened. Here was a responsibility he'd never thought to have. His only known relative. What if he didn't like her? What if she didn't like him? What if she was annoying? What if she was a pest? What if she interfered in his relationship with Hinata? What if she interfered in his entire life?

"I really do have plans tonight. Can I just meet her, and make plans with her for tomorrow?" he pleaded. If the Hokage gave him permission, he wouldn't feel so guilty.

"Fine. She's your cousin. You can walk her home for me, and pick her up tomorrow after breakfast."

"Do you mean she's here?"

"That's right. I've put her to work filing in the old records room. There was no one to assign her to, and I didn't want her to get into trouble on her own. I knew you'd be getting back soon."

"What if she's really a spy sent here undercover to learn our secrets?"

"They're old files. She won't learn anything interesting from old, dusty records. Come on, I'll take you down there, and introduce you."

She led the way down to the old records room on the first floor. Naruto had never been in there before. Records and filing weren't of interest to him. He hoped he was never old enough to be taken off ninja duties and assigned clerical duties. He'd be bored out of his mind. He was glad Hokage's could delegate that kind of stuff to other ninja.

When he'd come in the back entrance, he could have walked right past the records room if he hadn't gone upstairs instead. He'd only entered that way a few times before and never paid any attention to the rooms in the back. He'd noticed the medic room was back there, too. He still didn't want to run into Sakura, so he hoped if she were somewhere on that floor, she wouldn't hear the clicking of Tsunade's heels ringing hollowly in the quiet hallway. They seemed peculiarly loud in the otherwise silent halls.

Leading the way, Tsunade opened the door, and entered the records room ahead of Naruto so he didn't see anything but her back until he stepped to the side of her.

"Naomi Uzumaki!" Tsunade reprimanded. "What are you doing to my files?"

"Nothing!" quickly answered husky, female voice.

Naruto was in time to see a girl jerk in surprise, and quickly drop the origami crane she'd been intricately folding. She looked up with her blue eyes widened, her mouth open in an O, and her face flushed in embarrassment. The sunny blonde pony-tail on the back of her head swung across her right shoulder as she sharply turned her head. She looked from Tsunade to Naruto and if possible her eyes opened even wider.

He met her look with a scowl. He didn't see any family resemblance. She didn't even look like his sexy jutsu. What was Granny Tsunade talking about?


	3. Cousin Naomi

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

III. Cousin Naomi

"Naomi Uzumaki, may I present Naruto Uzumaki, a kinsman, and for simplification we'll say—your cousin?" Tsunade formally introduced them, and looked from one to the other with a quizzical smile on her face. She'd been puzzled by the remarkable resemblance which was even more evident now that they were together, but would withhold judgment until testing had been completed. There had to be a good reason for her to look like a Namikaze, and be named Uzumaki. If she were an imposter that would be an obvious mistake someone without a thorough knowledge of Naruto's background would make. She found the situation very interesting, and was looking forward to the scientific evidence that might reveal the truth of their familial resemblance.

It was difficult to say whether the two alleged cousins really appreciated their remarkable resemblance. Did anyone really see themselves the way others saw them? Being told by others that a resemblance existed was not always a convincing argument when one had ingrained convictions about the nature of one's own appearance.

Their hair and eyes weren't exactly the same color, but so close the difference was noticeable only to the discerning observer. The eye shape, nose, and shape of the face were very alike except for the male/female differences. There were, also a few more obvious differences. Naomi's ears were less curled, and lay flatter against her head. Naruto's mouth was thinner and wider, and his chin more squared. However, in this village, Naomi would undoubtedly be identified as a relative of Naruto's. When seen together everyone would discern a family resemblance whether it actually existed or not.

Naruto didn't observe any, but the most superficial resemblance. What he saw was an average-looking young girl with thick, unruly yellow hair, and uneven bangs. Her eyes were too wide and an unremarkable blue. She appeared younger than 14. She wore what looked like boy's clothes: a baggy, navy short sleeved-shirt and, baggy gray and navy knee-length shorts. She wore the usual unisex sandals. There was nothing interesting that he could discern in her appearance except that she didn't seem to want to look like a girl.

She was short, thin, and shapeless in her oversized clothes. If she looked like him then he didn't think much of his looks. Plus she didn't appear very bright with her mouth hanging stupidly agape, and her eyes ingenuously widened. He wouldn't believe he'd ever worn such a dumbfounded expression in his life. This would be cousin of his wasn't anything like what he'd always hoped for.

He gave himself a mental shake.

Why was he so resistant to this girl being related to him? Why was he so intent on finding fault? That wasn't like him. He generally didn't prejudge people. He usually accepted them at face value. Maybe he was taking the Fifth's doubts about her true identity too much too heart. The Fifth had every reason to doubt an unsubstantiated story. She owed it to the welfare of the village to investigate any suspicious claims. He didn't have to be quite as harsh. He could still treat her in his usual friendly fashion.

The true crux of his almost antagonistic attitude was the disappointment that his only relative wasn't a more imposing and impressive figure. Maybe that's why his reception of Naomi was so lukewarm. He'd always hoped that someday he'd have attained some validation in the eyes of the village, so any relative of his had to be worthy. Which was crazy because if the village couldn't accept the son of their greatest Hokage however flawed why would he expect some new relative to give him any cachet? He didn't need anyone else to prove him worthy—he would and could do it for himself. He'd known that all of his life. In fact, it was likely that he'd have to provide validity himself for this new cousin. She didn't look capable of impressing anyone just yet.

That thought cheered him up, and he viewed his new relative in a more acceptable light. As always the tenor of his thoughts was reflected in his expression. Guile and pretense were not in his nature. He looked more friendly and approachable once he'd settled his internal struggle.

When his new cousin finally recovered from her surprise and embarrassment, she smiled happily at him, and he had second thoughts about her looks. Maybe she wasn't so bad looking after all. He might even concede—if asked—that she was kinda cute. However, he still wasn't completely happy in fate's choice for his only known living relative. He really would have preferred a boy relation. What was he going to do with a girl cousin? What could they possibly have in common?

"Hi," Naruto said easily returning her smile.

"Hi," she responded without reserve. She studied him thoroughly looking from head to toes. Naruto felt no embarrassment. He'd been looking at her just as intensely.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted." Tsunade put her hands in her pockets, and started towards the door then abruptly turned back. "Oh, Naruto?"

"Yeah," he said absently. He'd started to think about Hinata, and wondered what her take on this new wrinkle would be. Would she see a resemblance beyond the superficial that he didn't?

"You can wait until tomorrow morning to add your part to Shikamaru's report, but don't wait any longer. You'll start to forget things. I'd like as accurate a report as possible."

"Yeah, right," he said in relief. He didn't think he could handle writing a report just now with a new cousin as well as his first date with Hinata filling up his head.

"You've already forgotten about it, haven't you?" she asked in resignation.

He looked at her and grinned sheepishly. "Maybe, but you did give me a big surprise. It's hard to think about mundane stuff right now."

"Mundane, eh? Perhaps practice would make perfect," she suggested dryly.

He started. "Unh? You wouldn't be that mean."

"Are you suggesting I'm mean?" This time she spoke sharply. She truly enjoyed teasing the boy. He still reminded her of deceased brother, Nawaki even though he'd never lived beyond the age of 12.

"Hey, I'm not stupid. Did I say you wouldn't be mean? Of course, I meant you couldn't be mean," he backpedaled quickly.

"Good save. I'm pleased to see signs that you're maturing." She started to leave then turned back once again. "And Naruto?"

"Yeah." He gave her his full attention this time. He might not be able to tell her she was mean to her face anymore, but that didn't mean he didn't think it. He wasn't about to give her an opportunity to zap him if he could help it.

"I've read Shikamaru's report. You all did a very good job. You even brought home more payment than I'd expected or required for this mission. You've been doing that fairly often lately. Keep it up. By the way, I've decided to use my discretionary authority as Hokage to promote the three of you to jônin. You won't have to take the usual exam."

"What?! Really?!" he grinned. "I wish I'd come in this morning to hear that."

"I haven't told the others yet. I only made my decision this afternoon after reading the report. You may have the pleasure of breaking the news to Hinata yourself if you like. I'll let Choji know tomorrow."

He laughed excitedly, and rubbed his hands together. "Hey, that's great! Thanks."

"No problem. See you tomorrow." She waved good-bye. "I'll have your scheduled duties ready by then, too." This time she really did leave. The firm click of her heels tapping the floor could be heard for a few moments even through the heavy wood door.

For a minute Naruto forgot he wasn't alone as he watched her go anticipating the pleasure of telling Hinata the great news. He was brought back to reality when Naomi interrupted his thoughts.

"So you're a jônin now, unh?" She clasped her hands in front of her and leaned on her elbows resting on the table she sat behind.

He turned back to his would be cousin. He'd completely forgotten she was there. He felt guilty about his unflattering thoughts earlier, so he tried to be nicer. "So it seems. You know what that means, don't you?"

She frowned and studied him for a moment, thinking. "It's the highest ninja rank?"

"Not quite. The Tokujō, S-Class and Anbu Black Ops are higher levels of jônin that would out rank regular jônin."

"What does it mean then?"

"It means I don't have to take an exam. I don't do very well with exams," he explained with a grin.

She grinned back at him. "I've never had to take one."

"You're lucky. I've had to take way too many."

"Are there exams for every ninja level?"

"Pretty much." He leaned against the table. Her interest was flattering. He'd have to be careful just in case she was an imposter.

"Which type of jônin do you want to be next?"

"Hokage," he said promptly. "No exams involved. You just have to be considered the best by the ninja elders."

"Lady Tsunade's position?"

"That's right."

"Can you do that? You're awfully young," she asked doubtfully.

"So what? My father was the youngest Hokage this village has ever had. I plan to be the sixth Hokage," he said confidently.

"Lady Tsunade is so young. You'll be old before she retires."

"She's not so young. She's almost 60."

"No way." Her eyes grew big and round, and her mouth fell agape again.

"Way. She uses a transformation technique to project herself as any age she wants. She's been in her twenties for as long as I've known her."

"Wow! I want to learn that technique." She was impressed.

"You're too young to worry about looking old—plus you're not even a ninja yet. You can't learn ninjutsu or genjutsu until you pass ninja school."

She confessed eagerly. "I want to. I knew there would be a school. Aunt Yukari told me about it. She told me she'd been a ninja when she was young. She taught me a few things, too."

"What kind of things?" he asked indulgently. She probably didn't know very much since she hadn't had formal training.

"She taught me how to throw kunai and shuriken accurately," she proclaimed proudly.

"Yeah, what else?"

"She explained ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. She told me about different kinds of jutsu techniques. She taught me some things about chakra. I've been working on chakra control. I can walk on water."

If she'd been a Konoha ninja that wouldn't have been an impressive list of skills for a 14 year old, but for someone without formal training, if true, it was a major accomplishment. He remembered how much trouble he'd had with chakra control. But maybe girls picked it up more quickly. Sakura had managed it much easier than either he or Sasuke.

He pushed himself away from the table. There were a lot more questions, he needed to ask especially if she proved to be an imposter, but he needed to get going. He had to wash up and change into clean clothes before he picked Hinata up for their date.

"Come on. We can talk while I walk you home." He nodded towards the door.

She jumped out of her chair, and eagerly came up to him.

He gestured to the table she'd left covered in files and her origami work. "Were you really mutilating, the Fifth's files?"

She went back to pick up her origami crane and shoved it into her pocket. "No. It's made from a blank piece of paper. I wouldn't dare mess with the files even if they are old and musty." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

They walked out the door. "You weren't doing any filing either," he suggested knowingly.

She shrugged. "I don't much care for paper work—except origami. I can read and write, but I don't want to do it any more than I have to. Aunt Yukari was really strict about book learning so I had to do a lot of it, but it's not my favorite thing to do."

"Me neither. The worst part of being a ninja is writing reports."

"Like the one you have to write tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but my team leader is really good at it. If I'm lucky, he didn't leave out a thing, so I won't have to write very much."

They walked blithely out of the building. Naruto had forgotten all about the two particular ninja he wanted to avoid—so of course, he ran right into one.

"Naruto! Naruto!"

Damn! It was Sakura's voice calling out loud and clear to him. He couldn't act like he hadn't heard her. He looked around and saw her down the street approaching the ninja complex from the opposite direction they were headed. His first thought was to run, but he knew it wouldn't work. She'd probably catch him then let him have it. So reluctantly he stood his ground and waited for her to catch up to them.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Naomi asked curiously.

"No way! Shhhhh. Don't ask me embarrassing questions in such a loud voice," he barely got out of his mouth before Sakura was before them.

"Who's this?" Sakura asked curiously as she sized up the girl standing beside Naruto. After studying her for a minute, she didn't feel the slightest threat from this unknown girl. Even if she was cute, she was too young and had absolutely no fashion sense to be a real threat to her in any capacity.

"A new found cousin," he mumbled.

"Have you no manners, Naruto?" she told him in disgust. "That's no way to introduce someone." She turned to the girl at his side. "Hi, I'm Sakura Haruno, Naruto's sometime team mate. What's your name?"

"Naomi Uzumaki," she answered proudly.

"You certainly do look like a relative of Naruto's." She looked back and forth between the two of them. "You could almost be brother and sister you look so much alike."

Naruto scowled. "We don't look that much alike." He still didn't believe the resemblance was that obvious. If she turned out to really be an imposter, a lot of people would have to eat their words.

"Look in a mirror, clueless. So where did you come from, Naomi?" It was amazing how quickly she could change her voice from sarcastic to pleasant as she switched between the cousins.

That question was something Naruto needed to find out himself. He didn't want Sakura doing his job for him. "Sakura, we don't have time for chit chat now. I need to get Naomi home. What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

She put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "You used to be much nicer to me, Naruto. Did my engagement to Lee upset you that much?"

He scowled again. "Hardly. I don't have time for this right now Sakura. Can't we do this some other time?"

"Do what? We're just talking. I haven't seen you for awhile. Have you heard about the mission most of the jônin are on?"

"Yeah, the Fifth just told me."

"We could be in a war."

"Yeah, I know."

"Did she give you your guard duty assignment?"

"Not yet. Are you doing it too? I thought you'd be exempt for medical duties."

"If no one's hurt, I don't have any medical duties. I've got guard duty tonight. Shino, Kiba and Ino are on the same shift with me since their team mates have been off on some mission with you." She made it sound like an accusation.

His eyes lit up. "Then Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata will probably be on duty with me. Who else is still here?"

"Lee, Neji, Tenten, a group of chûnin and genin. We're the only jonin in the village just now—except you're not a jônin yet, are you?"

"Wrong!" he announced triumphantly. "The Fifth just promoted me, Hinata and Choji."

Her eyes narrowed. "I see. Congratulations. You must have done well on your mission."

"Yeah, we did. Well, I've really got to go, Sakura." He was starting to feel impatient again. He didn't have time for this. It wasn't important stuff. He could talk to Sakura anytime. Unfortunately, he had to talk to her sometime soon for Lee's sake. Just not now.

"Wait! Naruto!" Sakura said urgently before he could leave. "I need to talk to you."

"What about?" he asked uneasily. He was afraid he knew what she needed to talk about. Would it be better for her to bring up the subject before he did or would she be mad that Lee had gotten to him first? He wished he knew. He sure didn't want to make her mad.

She lowered her voice. "It's about Lee. We had a silly argument."

Silly? That's not what Lee thought about it.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked with more resignation than sympathy.

"You're friends with him. I want you to talk to him for me."

"Me? What makes you think he'd listen to me?" This tact hadn't worked with Lee so he didn't know what made him think it would work with Sakura.

"He respects you Naruto. He'll listen to you."

Was this the time to tell her he wasn't necessarily on her side of the argument? Probably not. He couldn't deal with the repercussions right now.

"I really have to go, Sakura. Talk to me tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine. Let's have lunch at your favorite ramen stand?" she suggested with a knowing smile.

"Won't you be tired from guard duty?"

"I'm off duty at seven. I'll catch a few hours of sleep before lunch."

"Okay, sure. I guess I can do that. Oh, but Naomi will be with me. The Fifth wants me to show her around Konoha." He wouldn't mention the _keep an eye on her_ part—especially with her standing there listening.

Sakura turned her attention to the girl standing attentively at Naruto's side. Despite her looks, her personality must not be like his. Standing still and quiet wasn't exactly his forte. "Can you keep a secret, Naomi?"

"I think so. I've never known any secrets to tell."

"Good. I realize you don't know many people yet, but I don't want you talking about whatever you hear me telling Naruto, okay?"

"Okay," she promised solemnly.

"Then I'll see you both tomorrow." She left them with a wave as she walked towards the ninja complex.

"She's really pretty," Naomi said. "Why don't you want her for your girlfriend?"

Naruto started. She asked the darnedest questions. "That's none of your business. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to ask personal questions?"

"No. I didn't know many people. The village I grew up in was really small."

"Didn't you have any friends?"

"No. I only had Aunt Yukari. We didn't mix much with the villagers."

He digested this information silently for a moment. "It must have been hard for you when she died."

"I cried, but she'd been sick for a while. I knew it was coming," she said simply. "I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't told me to come here after—after she was gone. The villagers were nice enough—they helped me bury her and all—but they wouldn't have wanted to take care of me. I would have been just an extra unwanted mouth to feed. It was a poor village."

"Well, you're here now. We'll take care of you," he promised gruffly. He could really sympathize with that. It was his life in a nutshell.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said awkwardly. "You know, Lady Tsunade told me that Aunt Yukari wasn't really my aunt. I didn't know that. She never told me anything about my family. I didn't know what to expect when I got here. I was really surprised to find out about you. I'm so glad I have a real relative here. I don't feel so alone now." She stared down at the pavement embarrassed that the conversation had gotten so emotional.

That made Naruto feel even guiltier for his unwelcoming thoughts earlier. It didn't matter that she wasn't the relative he'd wanted. She was the only one present, and she needed him. If she proved to be his real cousin, then he would gladly be her family. In the meantime, he'd behave as if it were a done deal. She was already thoroughly engaging his sympathy. He couldn't do otherwise. He wasn't made that way.

"Welcome home, Naomi. I hope you like it here," he said and rubbed her head the way so many adults had done to him when he was a kid. It might not be so bad after all having a cousin—even a girl cousin.

When she smiled up at him with tears shining in her eyes, he felt even more emotionally engaged. There was no doubt about it—he was hooked. If she proved not to be his cousin after all, he'd be the one shedding tears next. He really wanted a family. He really hoped this was the beginning of his—that is if Hinata didn't mind. She was the most important person in his life just now.

He wondered what she would think about all this. That was just one more reason to look forward to his date tonight—if he remembered to mention his new cousin. He had a few other things he wanted to talk about first. A new cousin might just have to wait.


	4. Rebound girl

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

IV. Rebound girl

From the moment she woke up that morning, Hinata felt an excitement she could barely contain. The last conscious thought she'd had before falling asleep and the first one she'd had on waking had been _Naruto_—which wasn't unusual. Since he'd first caught her attention in ninja school she'd spent a great deal of time thinking about Naruto waking or sleeping.

At first glance, she'd felt sorry for him. He'd been shunned, taunted or laughed at by almost everyone. She'd watched him doing everything alone—playing, sitting, eating. But he'd never cried that she could see. Mostly he'd worn a fierce, defiant expression, and instead of hiding or ducking his head as she might have done, he'd been loud, swaggering and _in-your-face_ with everyone. He wouldn't let anyone ignore or overlook him.

He was a troublemaker, a clown, a loud, obnoxious lout, but she'd never minded that. Her sympathy and curiosity had only grown as she observed him deal brazenly with those around him until she'd found herself admiring, liking and even respecting him. Still she'd been too timid and cowardly to defend or even approach him. She'd remained on the outskirts of his life simply watching him from a safe and hidden distance so he wouldn't notice.

After awhile her liking, admiration and respect for him had deepened. Before she understood what happened she'd found herself in love. It had been so seamless she hadn't even realized it until she'd begun to blush whenever he chanced to glance at her or stammer whenever she had to speak to him—more so than with anyone else. It was a long time before she could say more than one word at a time to him or look beyond his feet because she always ducked her head in his presence. It was not surprising that he'd considered her timid and weird.

Over the years, she'd witnessed his ability to persevere in his goals despite his lack of family and friends. His never quit attitude had slowly gained him the friendship of teachers, classmates and team mates. Even the Third had had a special affection for the _not-to-be-overlooked_ orphan boy. He drew attention in any way he could to claim acknowledgement. He wore the brightest clothes. He behaved in the most outrageous manner. He had the loudest voice. Everything about him said _I won't be ignored_.

She'd watched him mature from a boastful, over confident class clown to a fearless, skillful ninja. She'd cried for his failures and cheered for his triumphs—but quietly and secretly. Despite being the opposite of Naruto, and not wanting close attention paid to her, she couldn't hide her interest in Naruto Uzumaki from those closed to her—her team mates. Yet they never teased her about it. Kurenai was kind, Kiba was puzzled and Shino simply shrugged. They considered it a girlish crush to be taken no more seriously than that. None of them thought it would last or go anywhere.

And neither did she really especially when she'd observed other less happy things about Naruto.

Although it saddened her, she'd observed his faithful crush on Sakura. It was perfectly understandable. Sakura was the smartest, prettiest and most noticeable girl in their class. Yet Hinata had never even been jealous of Sakura—envious, admiring and awed—but never jealous. If Naruto wanted Sakura, she would never gainsay his desires. That Naruto would be attracted to the best was not surprising. She could imagine no other outcome then for Naruto to be with Sakura. The best belonged with the best. Hinata hadn't even attempted to image that she could ever have a place in Naruto's affections—not with so many more attractive, talented and confident kunoichi available besides Sakura.

But Naruto didn't want Sakura or any other kunoichi like her—not any more. By some extremely wonderful set of circumstances, he seemed to want her, Hinata Hyuga. It was still almost impossible to believe. All she'd ever sought was his acknowledgement and respect. She'd never dared to hope for more. Yet here she was anticipating her first date with Naruto and wondering if this was the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship.

* * *

She met up with Shikamaru and Choji at the ninja complex bright and early the morning after their return to the village. They'd all been tired when they'd returned to the village, but she'd definitely remembered Shikamaru telling them all to meet him in the morning to wrap up their mission with a completed report. She looked around for Naruto, but he wasn't anywhere about. Her search and disappointed expression was too obvious to be missed by her companions.

"Hey, Shikamaru, wanna bet Naruto doesn't show up?" Choji asked slyly.

"I don't make sucker bets," Shikamaru said dryly.

"What was that?" Tsunade demanded overhearing what was said as she approached the group from behind. The term _sucker_ was a sore point for her since in the past she'd been known throughout the land as the _Legendary Sucker_ due to her bad luck with any form of gambling. No one dared mentioning anything even related to that topic in her presence.

"We'll have to start without Naruto. I'm not going to wait around all morning," Shikamaru answered her without answering her question. He was no fool.

She stared at him challengingly. "I presume you've been discussing your report?"

"Of course," he said blandly, calmly meeting her eyes.

She smiled. "Well, then I'll walk inside with you. I've got something to tell you if you haven't already been told by your family, and I've got new assignments for all of you," Tsunade said seriously. She actually led the way rather than walking with them. She generally had the habit of taking the lead except with Naruto. He never did understand the deference due her position. He probably wouldn't appreciate it until he himself became Hokage. When that happened Tsunade wished on him a young ninja just as disrespectful, brash and challenging—every time he misbehaved. If life was just, her wish would come true with interest.

As it happened, Hinata was the only one who hadn't been greeted on her return by family, and told about the situation with the Country of Stone, a new hidden village, and a possible war. She was relieved that she didn't have to leave the village on another mission so soon, but was concerned about all the experienced jônin absent from Konoha. All of her team mates past and present had parents who were among the jônin on this mission except for Naruto and herself. How worried they must be! What would they all do if any of those jônin failed to return? How could the few remaining jônin, the chûnin and genin hope to defend Konoha without them? How could this village bear another devastating loss?

She had to tell herself not to expect the worst as was her habit. She had to believe that Kurenai, Iruka, Shizune and all the others would return hale, whole and with good news. She couldn't allow negative thoughts to paralyze her. And she wouldn't allow this news to spoil her date that night. She and Naruto might have very little time together if the worst should happen. She must make that time as enjoyable as possible for his sake. She must only think of now, and not what the future might or might not hold. Anticipating trouble was unconstructive. Intellectually she knew that, but emotionally it was a struggle. Because she had Naruto to consider besides herself, she would do it. She wouldn't waste one moment of their time together on worry, doubt or fear. She wanted to enjoy his company for as long as possible.

With that in mind she worked with Shikamaru and Choji to write a thorough report on their last mission. She wondered why Naruto had failed to show up, but she didn't worry. He'd do his part eventually no matter how much he disliked it. She worked her hardest so his part would be easier. She didn't mind reports, and the three of them working together made short work of it. She'd have plenty of time to make ready for her date later. That was one thing she didn't need to worry about.

* * *

She'd worn her only pretty dress once, on a mission over seven weeks ago with Naruto. It was red, silk and sleek. Naruto had really liked her in that dress. He'd liked her red shoes, too. She'd never thought of red as her color. She'd never before wanted to draw the sort of attention to herself that red would attract. She'd always worn dark, unobtrusive colors. But if Naruto liked her in red then she'd wear red more often to please him. Knowing that he liked it made her feel more attractive and confident. She almost believed that she was a pretty girl.

She spent the rest of her day readying herself for her date.

She bathed and washed her hair with specially scented soap. She painted her finger and toe nails. She dressed her hair in the same style she'd worn the last time she was dressed up for Naruto, pulled back with a red scarf. She wore a little mascara to enhance her eyes, a little blush to emphasize her cheek bones and a little red lipstick to draw attention to her mouth. She'd learned her lessons well when the Fifth had taken her to a spa before her mission with Naruto almost two months ago. She knew that feminine trappings were only superficial. If he really liked her they wouldn't matter, but she'd enjoyed Naruto's admiration before by appearing completely unlike the way she normally appeared. She wanted to enjoy his admiration again, and keep his attention focused exclusively on her. She didn't want him to have any regrets that he was with her and not Sakura.

When she heard the knock on the door, she wasn't quite ready. Naruto was early. She hadn't planned to put on her dress until the very last so it wouldn't wrinkle before Naruto saw it. However, the robe she wore was actually less revealing than the dress so she thought it would be safe to peak out the door, and ask him to wait.

But it wasn't Naruto standing on her doorstep.

"Kiba! What are you doing here?" She was really surprised to see him. He rarely came to visit between missions.

"I ran into Choji at lunch so I knew you were back. Can I come in?" He gave her a warm smile.

She hesitated a split second, but reassured herself that Kiba must have a good reason for his visit. He'd always been a good friend and a great team mate. "Wait here one minute. I need to finish dressing," she told him then shut the door. She didn't know why she felt odd having Kiba inside when she was still in her robe, but she did. She wouldn't have wanted Naruto showing up, and getting the wrong idea. As her team mate Kiba had seen her in many states of dress and undress in the course of a mission, but this was different. Before their practice date together, she wouldn't have thought anything of it, however remembering that Kiba was seeing her as a girl now made everything strangely less comfortable.

When she came back to the door, she was fully dressed and ready for her date with Naruto since she didn't know how long Kiba would stay to talk. She might not have time to get any more ready after he left.

She stood behind the door as she held it open.

Kiba didn't get a good look at her until she shut the door, and turned towards him. She blushed furiously as he stared at her with his mouth hanging open. He'd never seen her so dressed up. Even on their one date she'd worn casual clothes. She looked really really good. He needed to tell her that. Girls liked compliments. Especially girls you were interested in, and wanted to be interested in you.

"Wow! Hinata, you look great. That's a pretty dress. What's the occasion?"

"Thank you." Her hand went to her neck, and she touched the material there with a soft reassuring stroke. She felt very self-conscious with Kiba staring at her as if he'd never seen her before. Naruto's stares had made her feel attractive, but Kiba's made her feel awkward. Maybe she'd made a mistake to always try to be unobtrusive in the past. She'd be able to handle the attention better if she'd practiced more. "I'm going out later," she answered vaguely.

"Out? Where?" he asked sharply, and his eyes narrowed as he continued to study her. She couldn't be this nicely dressed for her family. She must be going on a date. Why hadn't she dressed like this for their date?

"I'm not sure," she said uneasily, and walked away to sit down. Kiba wasn't acting like his usual laid back self. He usually saved his intensity for a fight. She didn't like having his intensity directed towards her.

"Who with?" he demanded suspiciously. Who would ask her out besides him? No one else had ever shown an interest. That was the reason he'd taken his time with Hinata. He figured he had plenty of time to pursue her when he was ready.

She gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite her, but instead he continued to hover tensed and ready to spring. She wished she didn't feel like prey. "Kiba—" she began hesitantly.

He held up his hands to forestall her arguments, and plopped down in the chair she wanted him to sit in. He tried to shrug of his attitude. He wouldn't get any answers by being so damned insistent. "Hey, I know it's none of my business. I've just never seen you dressed so much like a girl before. I like it."

She blushed again. "I can't usually dress up like this on a mission, you know."

"Usually? Does that mean you've dressed like this for a mission in the past?" he pounced on her word choice.

She didn't know how to dissemble, but wished she did. "Actually, yes. I did purchase this dress for a mission." Vague had almost worked before.

"What mission?" His tone had sharpened again.

"Kiba, why are you asking me so many questions? What does it matter? It was awhile ago." She'd observed the effective technique of answering a question with a question, but had never tried it before.

He shrugged, but it didn't actually reflect how he really felt. He tried to shake the intensity again. He saw that he was worrying her with his sharp questions. "I don't know. There's just so much I don't know about you. I thought I knew everything. You really surprised me, Hinata."

"You know more about me than most people. We've been team mates for over six years."

"Yeah, that should count for something."

"What do you mean?" She didn't like this Kiba. He wasn't the friend she trusted so much. He was behaving in a much darker manner.

He stared at her a moment from under his furrowed black brows before answering. "Hinata—is it Naruto?"

"What!?" How could her face possibly turn redder than it already had? She put her hands up to her cheeks. It certainly felt hotter than ever before.

He waved his hands impatiently at her. "The dress, the nails, the jewelry, the hair—I've never seen you dress so femininely. What's going on? It's a date, isn't it?"

She looked away from his dark angry eyes. She hadn't given Kiba a serious thought since she'd begun that mission to bring home Naruto almost two months ago. She knew he'd misunderstood the date she'd asked him to go on, but she'd simply pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Kiba was her team mate and friend. Until the night she'd wanted to know what a date was like, and had asked him to show her that had been the only way she'd thought about him. She would still have only thought of him as a friend, but he'd revealed that he'd been thinking of her in a very different way. She'd mentally dismissed the thought, because she'd only had Naruto on her mind. In all the weeks she'd been recuperating from that mission, she still hadn't thought about it. She may even have convinced herself it had never happened or he'd forgotten all about it. Now here he was staring at her in a way that made her feel unhappy and uncomfortable. How was she to tell him that Naruto was the love of her life? How was she to convince him that Naruto came first for her without hurting him? She had to try or she'd continue to hurt him.

She looked at him with a sad expression in her eyes. "Kiba, you know—you knew—you've always known how I felt about Naruto," she said helplessly.

He jerked upright, and punched his right fist into his left palm. "So you're going out with him? That's what all this uncommon finery is all about? You have to look like Sakura for him to even notice you?"

She was shocked by his accusation. "No! That's not my intention."

"So why now? Why for him? This isn't you."

She looked down at her beautiful, red dress. It had made her feel so good to wear it. Why was that wrong? "You thought it was pretty, Kiba. Why can't I look pretty? Sometimes I want to look like a girl not a ninja."

He waved his hand dismissively crushing her pretensions. There was no good reason—except that it was for Naruto. "You're just kidding yourself, Hinata. You'll never be like Sakura. Don't even try." _You're much prettier_, he wanted to say, but that would defeat his purpose.

He continued to upset her. "That's not it!" she cried. "It has nothing to do with Sakura. This isn't even her color."

He slapped his hands down on his knees. "It has everything to do with her if we're talking about Naruto! Do you think he's really over her just because she's engaged? Come on, Hinata, he's liked her as long as I can remember. That's a pretty big leap for him to go from her to you."

Now her face paled. Kiba's scorn almost hurt. "I don't think he really has liked her all this time," she told him in a soft, pained voice. "Not like that. I think it was more a habit with him," she tried to explain the reasons she'd given herself for Naruto's sudden switch from Sakura to her. Like Kiba, she'd found it almost impossible to believe herself. Unlike Kiba, she wanted so much to believe it that she grasped at any and every reason for him to like her. Naruto wouldn't pretend. He wouldn't toy with her affections. He was too honorable for that. Kiba must be wrong.

"Get real, Hinata. You know what you are, don't you?"

She shook her head roughly. Her throat constricted too much for her to speak. The hateful things he was saying made her chest ache. Why was Kiba treating her this way? From his initial reaction she knew he'd thought she'd look nice. Why was he tearing down what little self-confidence she'd managed to gather around her lately?

"You're the rebound girl," he said simply.

"What!?" she managed to croak out.

"The _rebound girl_. You're the girl between Sakura and the girl he'll end up with next. Rebound relationships never last," he spoke confidently. It had never happened to him, but he'd heard about the phenomena enough in his dating experience to believe it to be true. He had to make Hinata see that she and Naruto would never be a couple. They just weren't meant to be.

"No." she said in a horrified whisper. Could this really be true? She didn't know anything about relationships. Kiba was much savvier than she was. Would he deliberately lie to her when he knew how much it would hurt her? Or was he simply trying to protect her from future unhappiness? Were she and Naruto really not meant to be together?

"Oh yeah. It always happens like that. Think about it, Hinata. You're the opposite of Sakura. For that matter, you're the opposite of Naruto. That's the only reason you've caught his attention. He was looking for someone as different from Sakura as night from day. You fit the bill perfectly. But it won't last. If it's really Sakura's type he likes, you won't be able to carry it off. That's just not the real you. He won't be satisfied with who you really are. He'll eventually drop you as soon as he finds another girl just like her."

Deep inside she'd always feared that was true, but she'd never brought that horrible thought into the light to examine. Now that Kiba had thrown a spotlight on it, she couldn't hide her head in the sand any longer. What if it were all just a dream with a rude awakening just around the corner? Maybe this very date she'd been anticipating so eagerly would be the one thing to open Naruto's eyes to her complete unsuitability to be with him. Maybe this date was the moment he'd begin to compare her unfavorably to Sakura, and realize he'd made a mistake. Maybe he'd go back to thinking her plain, timid and weird. How would she ever be able to recover from that?

"Kiba, you should go. Naruto will be here soon," she said dully. She couldn't allow Kiba to see how much he'd upset her. She didn't want to always be the object of everyone's pity. And she didn't want Kiba to bring this subject up with Naruto. She wasn't ready to even think about it yet.

He felt more than a little contrite now that all the light had left her face making her look almost plain. He'd been a little hard on her, but she needed to be prepared. He was doing this for her own good. She'd realize that her crush on Naruto was hopeless, and turn to him—the only one who could really appreciate her.

"I'm sorry, Hinata. You needed to realize this. I don't want to see you get hurt." He stood up.

Hinata stood after he did, and slowly walked him to the door. She couldn't look at him. She didn't want to see the sympathy in his eyes. For someone who didn't want to see her get hurt, he'd done an excellent job of it.

"Hinata, why don't I take you out tomorrow? You can wear that pretty dress for me," he coaxed. "I really do think you look pretty no matter what you wear."

She shook her head. "I have patrol duty tomorrow night."

He frowned. "That means we're not on the same schedule. I wonder if I'm stuck with Shino, Ino and Sakura forever. Maybe we can ask the Hokage to switch us to the same shift."

"I can't think about that now, Kiba. I'll let you know." She shut the door firmly on him.

He put his hands in his pockets as he sauntered away.

He couldn't believe how jealous he'd been of Naruto. That loser! How dare he just waltz in and take the girl Kiba was interested in. Who was he anyway? He was a joke. He'd just barely passed ninja school. His genin trainer called him a knuckle-head. He'd only beaten Kiba in their chûnin exam by a trick not from any superior ability. So how had Naruto managed to do so well up to now? How had he become the apprentice of one sanin, and the obvious favorite of another? He'd never treated any of the elders with respect. Yet even the Third had been fond of him. What was it about Naruto Uzumaki?

If it wasn't for this thing with Hinata, Kiba wouldn't have had any hard feelings towards Naruto. He'd goofed off with Naruto plenty of times in ninja school. He hadn't held a grudge after being beaten in the chûnin exam. He hadn't begrudged him his special attention from the sanin or the Hokages. He'd actually liked him—until now. But why should he of all people get Hinata Hyuga? He wasn't special enough for that.

She came from one of the first families of Konoha. She had a special kekkei genkai which was as unique as the Uchiha clan's sharingan. She should be courted by someone from another first family. She couldn't tie herself to a nobody.

Hey, that's right! No way would her father approve this relationship. He'd break it up as soon as he found out. He wouldn't want Hinata involved with Naruto Uzumaki.

That thought made Kiba relax. He didn't have to worry. This thing between Hinata and Naruto wouldn't last any longer than for her father to find out. He'd just have to arrange for Hiashi Hyuga to find out sooner rather than later. Then Hinata would be available, and ready to be consoled. And he'd be right there to provide the shoulder for her to cry on. Rebound wouldn't cover this situation. Hinata never had a chance with Naruto, so it wouldn't count. Right?


	5. A date with Naruto, part one

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

V. A date with Naruto, part one

_Rebound girl._

That ugly name Kiba had given her echoed harshly in her head.

_Rebound girl._

It couldn't be true! Kiba had to be wrong!

_Rebound girl._

If Kiba was right why did he have to say anything about it? Why did he have to hit her with that kind of truth? She'd never have realized it. She didn't have a clue about interpersonal relationships and their dynamics. She could have remained happy and oblivious on cloud nine—at least for as long as it took Naruto to realize she wasn't the one for him. If her dreams had to eventually be shattered why couldn't it be much later? Why couldn't she have enjoyed the illusion for a little while longer?

_Rebound girl._

Now her life seemed drab and empty without the dream she'd cherished for so long. She'd almost rather Naruto hadn't noticed her at all than to just be picked up and dropped by him so briefly. Of course, it hadn't happened yet. She could still enjoy his present interest as long as possible. She could simply put the ugly thought away, and never think about it until Naruto's final rejection forced her to. Yes, that's what she could do.

_Rebound girl._

If only she knew how to turn off her doubts and worries. Her negative thoughts had a way of rearing their ugly heads at the most inconvenient times. Why did Kiba have to stop by today of all days? Why couldn't he have waited at least until after her first date? He knew how much Naruto meant to her. Why couldn't he have realized how much what he'd said would hurt her?

Slowly, Hinata made her way into her bedroom. She felt completely drained. With clumsy movements she bent down and removed her flimsy, red shoes placing them carefully on the floor of her closet behind all her other shoes where they wouldn't mock her with the memories of that pretend girlfriend mission she'd once had with Naruto. She clearly remembered how he'd admired her shoes.

Sadly, she removed her pretty red dress hanging it in the back of the closet where she couldn't be reminded that she'd once attempted to look completely different from her usual self—what she thought was a more attractive, vibrant Hinata. Even the Fifth had had her convinced that she'd looked attractive. Had she just been acting kind? Was the Fifth just trying to give her self-confidence by exaggerating how she'd looked? Was that really kind at all? Was it self-confidence she lacked or everything to make her really attractive to Naruto?

Continuing with slow deliberate movements, she washed the make-up from her eyes, cheeks and mouth until there was no trace of any attempts to enhance her features. Wasn't that simply an illusion, too? She drew the red silk scarf from her hair, and combed it out in her usual unfussy style. Red no longer reflected her mood.

She opened her bureau where her everyday clothes resided in neat piles. As she rifled through the folded stacks of clothing navy, dark green, white and black were the colors that met her searching eyes. Any one of those colors would have fitted her present state of mind, but she chose to pull the blackest, plainest clothes she owned from the drawer, and slowly cover her petite form.

When she was dressed, she stood before the mirror in her bedroom, and studied her dark, somber appearance.

She was plain, timid, dark and weird once more. Naruto had described her that way when she was younger, and it was still an accurate description. She would not forget that again. This was who she was, and who she would always be. She could never be like Sakura no matter how hard she tried. She'd just never have Sakura's confidence or sparkle. Sakura lighted up a room. She, Hinata, simply took up space, but as little as possible. She would simply be embarrassed by the attention Sakura garnered. That was never what she'd wanted. She'd only sought Naruto's attention.

If Naruto wanted a girl like Sakura then he would not want Hinata. She would simply have to face that awful truth. She would always be just Hinata Hyuga, the girl not even her family wanted.

She didn't know how long she stood there unhappily studying her reflection seeing nothing positive in her sad, familiar face when she heard the jaunty rap on her front door. She knew this time it was Naruto. She straightened her shoulders, raised her head, and pasted a false smile on her lips before she went to face her dismal future. Unfortunately, one thought popped into her head just before she opened the door.

_Rebound girl._

His face lit up when he saw her, and his expression didn't dim a watt when he took in her black on black ensemble.

"Hi," he said huskily, and smiled widely at her as he leaned in her doorway, one hand resting on the top of the door jamb, the other held behind his back.

"Hi," she returned softly. Her false smile melded into something real. She couldn't forget what Kiba had said, but just seeing Naruto made her feel happy, and gave her a feeling of hope.

"Hey, I thought maybe you'd wear your pretty red dress you wore on that one mission with me. I really liked that red dress." He had good memories about that dress. It was the first time he'd actually recognized Hinata as the girl of his dreams. He could have kicked himself every time he realized how oblivious he'd been to every girl except Sakura. Now when he saw her, he couldn't remember what he'd liked so much about her.

"Are you disappointed?" she asked searching his face for a sign. She'd decided that she couldn't bluntly ask him anything about being his rebound girl. It would be too awful to simply confront him with Kiba's theory. She might even put the idea in his head if it weren't already there. She'd just have to watch and listen interpreting his words and actions as best she could to get an idea for how he really felt. She still so much wanted Kiba to be completely off base that she was willing to risk future major heartbreak just to have her dream realized for the short term.

He shook his head. "I like bright colors, and you look good in red, but I'm not disappointed. You'd look great in any color."

"Thank you," she said shyly and blushed. That was the right answer. Hinata felt the tension in her body begin to seep away.

"This is much better any way," he continued.

"It is?"

"You bet. We look more like a couple—both of us wearing all black." He winked at her, and if possible his grin widened. He'd chosen to leave his trademark orange behind, and wear all black, too. He thought it added more formality to his outfit making it more suitable for an important date—not that he'd had much choice. His wardrobe was rather limited to black and/or orange.

He was definitely saying all the right things. It was almost as if he knew she needed reassurance. "I wasn't certain what to wear. You never set any parameters for our date," she explained uncertainly. It was sort of true. She'd only thought to wear the red dress originally because she'd known how much he liked it. Her doubts had made her wonder if it were just the dress he liked rather than her in the dress. Now she thought perhaps, he might like her with or without the dress.

He grinned sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head. "I guess I didn't. I've never been on a real date before. I'm not sure what to do. You're the experienced one here. You tell me what we should do."

She blushed again. "I've only been on one date, and it wasn't a real one. Oh, what a terrible hostess I am," she stepped back and opened the door wider. "Come in, and sit down. We don't have to decide at the door—especially when we have no set plans." She gestured for him to enter the house.

"Wait! These are for you," he announced as with a flourish he brought a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. Flowers had been a last minute, fortuitous thought.

He'd passed the Yamanaka flower shop on the way to Hinata's house, and seen a guy come out with an embarrassed, grinning face, and a big bouquet of flowers. _The flowers must be a gift for someone else,_ he'd thought. It had suddenly occurred to him—girls liked flowers, ergo Hinata would like flowers. A gift would start the date off on the right foot. He had to get Hinata a nice bouquet of flowers. Fortunately for him, Ino hadn't been working there at the time so he hadn't found it necessary to go into any embarrassing explanation why or for whom he was buying flowers. Dissembling sat right up there with sneaky as another skill he sucked at.

She took the bouquet, and buried her face in the soft, bright petals breathing in their sweet scent. They were a vivid and varied selection in a flashy blend that only Naruto could have chosen. No one had ever given her flowers before. She'd always cut her own flowers from her garden to decorate her home. She rewarded him with a brilliant smile. "They're beautiful, Naruto."

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl," he said gallantly. Charm was another of his weak points. He knew he needed a lot more practice, but Hinata always seemed to find his attempts acceptable. At least, he seemed to keep her in a perpetual state of blush. He took that to be a good sign.

She stood behind the door as he came through, holding her bouquet before her face, and softly closed it behind him. He was being so sweet she could feel her face in a constant burn. She watched him longingly as he sauntered with his usual cocky walk across her room and sat down in the chair Kiba had quitted not so long ago.

Naruto looked around her little home with interest while she retrieved a vase for her flowers. As far as he could remember he'd always lived in his meager little room, and he'd never thought of it as a home. Most of the time he spent there he had his eyes closed, and he was unconscious.

Hinata's three rooms plus bath home seemed large and spacious to him. Her main room was bigger than his own measly little room. It also seemed very clean, attractive and welcoming. Maybe it was a girl thing, but he'd never have thought to keep arranged flowers, or knick knacks, or books arranged attractively around the room. He'd never thought pastel colors could look so warm and pleasant. His philosophy had always been the brighter the color the better, but Hinata's decorative skills were very nice and relaxing. He would have been happy coming back from missions to such a nice place—especially if someone pretty and sweet waited there for him.

"I like your home. It's nice and attractive—like you," he told her as he took a seat. He was successfully erasing the negative pall Kiba's presence had bestowed on her home. Naruto looked completely comfortable sitting in that chair—perfectly at home—a happier addition than Kiba had been.

She sat down opposite him. "Thank you. I've been happy here."

Still looking around, he asked, "This is part of the Hyuga estate, isn't it? Weren't you raised in the main house? How long have you lived here?" He was curious about everything concerning her, but he suddenly realized that his questions might be tactless and intrusive. He knew little about her family situation, and what he did know he didn't like. He didn't want to upset her so before she could speak he said quickly, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to ask nosy questions. You don't have to answer. I just want to know everything about you, Hinata. Isn't that what a date is all about?"

She felt a surge of warmth in her chest at his interest. He was being so sweet. She really wanted to believe he meant all of his interest and compliments. "I don't think you're being nosy. I suppose dating is getting to know someone—their background, their likes and dislikes, their goals and values. We already know so much about each other since we're the same age, attended school together, been assigned missions together. Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you. I don't mind."

"You know, we can pretend we don't know the things we haven't told each other personally. Stuff you've heard about me isn't stuff that's necessarily true or stuff I'd want you to know. I don't suppose you've heard anything that's very flattering about me," he said worriedly. If people weren't afraid to say unkind and unpleasant things to his face, he couldn't imagine what people said behind his back. He knew he wasn't the most popular ninja, but he hoped he wasn't completely disliked by anyone. The only ninja he'd ever disliked was Sai, a sometime team mate of his—and almost no one liked him so he wasn't being the difficult one.

"I haven't heard anything bad about you, Naruto," _not in a long time_, she added silently. "I've only heard of your wonderful exploits and incredible skills."

He grinned. Flattery didn't embarrass him. "So I'm awesome, right?"

She smiled shyly back. "I think so."

He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees, and clasped his hands together. He looked at her earnestly. "I think you're pretty wonderful, too, Hinata. I can't believe we're finally going on our first date." Thinking he might be embarrassing her, he suddenly straightened up and slapped his hands on his knees. "So where can I take you on our date? I want it to be memorable."

_Oh, Naruto_, she thought, _I hope you really mean what you're saying_. _It won't matter where we go or what we do, I'll always remember this date_. "I can't believe it either. But, it really doesn't matter. I'm happy just to be with you." She couldn't believe she was telling him exactly how she felt. Vaguely, she remembered some dating advice about being coy, but she didn't know how to do that. She was tired of hiding what she felt. If she only had a short time before Naruto came to his senses then she wanted to make the most of that time. She wouldn't dissemble or equivocate. That wasn't who she was.

He looked into her unfathomable silver eyes wishing he could tell more easily what she was thinking. He didn't know anything about women. He didn't want to make any mistakes on this date. He wanted Hinata to like him more than any one else. "I'm happy just to be with you, too, but I want this date to be the best one you've ever been on. What do you want to do?" he asked eagerly. "I'm game for anything."

"I—I don't know," she returned helplessly. She hadn't thought beyond just being with Naruto. She didn't feel it necessary to do anything, but maybe he felt differently.

"We could go to a movie?" he suggested and watched her reaction. When she didn't exactly light up at the idea, he threw out another suggestion.

"There's an acting troupe in town. They came in a few weeks ago. I've heard they're pretty good, but I haven't seen their show yet," he tried again. She looked slightly more interested this time, but still didn't jump at the idea.

"Or we could go dancing?" That wouldn't be his first choice, but he was willing to do anything she wanted to do.

"I don't know how to dance," she admitted hesitantly. She didn't want to admit her ignorance. She didn't want to give him even more evidence on how inadequate she was as a girlfriend, but he had to know sometime. Sakura probably danced wonderfully.

He grinned. "Neither do I. We could stumble around together. I don't mind. I never wanted to learn before, but I'm willing to learn with you. I bet you'd take to it like a duck to water. Don't forget I've seen your shugo hake rokujuu yon shou. If that move isn't as graceful as dancing I don't know what is."

He was wonderfully building her confidence again. Plus he made learning how to dance sound really fun, but she'd rather do that when she felt more comfortable being with him—if that time ever came. "I—could we—I just want to be alone together without a crowd of people. Do you mind that?"

He gazed at her in surprise. "I'd like that, too, but is that really a date? Shouldn't we do something on a date?"

"Isn't a date whatever we want it to be? If you want to go to a movie, or theater or dance, I'd be happy to do whatever you want."

"No, no. This is our date. We decide together. I don't have to do something on a date. I mean—go out and do something. I don't mind just the two of us talking—but at least let me take you out to dinner? We can talk during dinner."

"I could cook something for us here. I'm a fairly good cook."

He shook his head. "I don't want you busy in the kitchen. I want you where I can claim all your attention. We'll let someone else do the cooking tonight," he said determinedly. He'd love to have her cook for him sometime. He'd never had a pretty girl cook for him before outside of a restaurant. It would be nice, but not for their first date.

Hinata blushed furiously at his flattering words. Would Naruto be saying such sweet things if she were his rebound girl? If only she'd had time to consult another more worldly woman such as Kurenai to discover if this rebound thing was for real. She could enjoy this time with Naruto so much more if she thought she could be as important to him and he was to her. In the meantime, she would simply savor these precious moments with Naruto however brief they might be. "I'll agree to that if we can just walk in the park and sit on a park bench afterwards—somewhere without a lot of people."

"You bet. I can't think of anyone I'd rather sit in the park with. It'll be like that time in the city when you met me in your red dress, and pretended to be my girlfriend. This time when I kiss you on a park bench it will be for real," he promised jumping to his feet. He held out his hand to her.

Hinata blushed furiously. She put her hand in his allowing him to pull her up. She looked forward to his promise as she followed him out the door.


	6. A date with Naruto, part two

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

VI. A date with Naruto, part two

He held her hand as they walked down the street.

"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes of bliss at Naruto's side. He'd drawn her closely beside him holding her entire arm near his side along with her hand. He kept his steps short to accommodate her shorter stride, and he took the outside of the walkway just as a gentleman should. She felt protected and cherished.

"You'll see." He gave her his trademark wide grin.

She considered his obvious enjoyment of the situation. "Naruto, did you have this planned? You said you didn't know what to do on a date."

"Yeah, sorta. I knew I wanted to take you to dinner. I just didn't know what to do afterwards. I wasn't sure what you'd want to do."

"Are you disappointed that I don't want to do any of the things you mentioned tonight? You're not hiding your real thoughts, are you?" she asked worriedly. She wanted this date to be just as memorable for him as he apparently wanted it for her. If he didn't enjoy himself then she couldn't either.

"Hell, no. We can do all that another time," he said dismissively.

"We can?"

"Sure. This is just our first date." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Another wonderful promise. Hinata couldn't believe how completely her mood had changed just by seeing Naruto. He hadn't said a single thing or given her a single look that suggested that she was just a temporary fling—a filler until the real thing came along. Kiba must have been wrong. She wouldn't allow him to send her into that downward spin of doubt and unhappiness again. If necessary she would tell Kiba to mind his own business—in her own very gentle way, of course.

They walked along comfortably together until Hinata realized that Naruto was leading her to one of the nicest and most expensive restaurants in Konoha.

"Naruto, this place is too expensive," she protested softly. She stopped and tugged on his hand as he led her to the door. "Why don't we go to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar?"

"I don't care how expensive it is," he said stubbornly. "Only the best is good enough for our first date. I can't promise to take you to such fancy places very often in the future, but our first date must be spectacular. Believe me, we'll see a lot of Ichiraku's in the future, but this is where I want to take you tonight."

Her heart swelled at his insistence, and she quelled her protests. That Naruto wanted the best for her was incredibly endearing. It didn't matter what they did or where they went she'd never forget this evening as long as she lived.

They were seated at a table for two in a secluded alcove. Although it was still light outside, the restaurant was dark and lit by candles. The atmosphere was definitely very intimate and romantic.

With her blessing, Naruto ordered for both of them. He ordered kōcha (black tea), gyōza (dumplings) and shabu-shabu (meat and vegetable fondue) for two. He'd eaten at this particular restaurant once before so he ordered exactly what he'd eaten then knowing those particulars foods to be very good. At that time the prices had been a shock, but he was prepared today. He had his lucky frog wallet plumb with money ready to spend whatever he needed to give Hinata a date she'll never forget—a date which any other date she had been on or might ever be on would compare completely unfavorably to her date with him.

Hinata watched him with delight. He was making her feel very special. If this was what being the rebound girl was all about, she couldn't imagine how he could possibly treat a real girlfriend any better. He was being sweet, flattering and attentive in all the ways she'd always hoped he'd treat her one day.

After completing the order, Naruto's attention was once more exclusively on her, and Hinata felt unaccountably shy again. It took all of her willpower not to duck her head, and play with her fingers to avoid his warm glance. She couldn't fully enjoy this date if she allowed herself to back away when her comfort level was breached. This was what she'd always wanted—Naruto's attention completely on her. It was scary, but thrilling at the same time. She had to make the most of it in case it didn't last.

"Hinata," he said looking at her with pleasure after the waitress had set down a teapot and two cups. He poured the tea for them both while he thought about his next move. Finally, they were here on a date. Now what?

"Naruto," she responded with her usual shy smile.

"I feel a little nervous," he admitted. He wanted Hinata to like him better than any other guy she knew (Kiba came to mind). He felt some pressure to impress her, and he didn't know exactly how to do it. She knew him. How could he possibly impress someone who'd known him in his unruly youth, knew his faults, and knew a lot of the stupid things he'd done in the past. It might have been easier with a strange girl he barely knew—he could hide the things he didn't want her to know. But Hinata had witnessed almost every crazy, stupid, foolish thing he'd done in the last few years. What could he possibly do to make an impact on her?

"You do? Nervous? Of me?" She pressed her hand to her chest. She couldn't believe Naruto could be nervous especially of her. He had to be teasing her.

"Yeah. What if I screw up? What if you don't like dating me?"

She gave a little laugh. That was completely impossible. "I like it very much so far."

"That's good because you had me worried, you know. You looked a little sad when you opened the door to me at first. I thought maybe you didn't want to go out with me after all." She hadn't stayed sad looking, but it had still worried him a little. He hadn't known what to say at the time to cheer her up, but he hadn't needed to say much of anything for her to begin looking happy.

She shook her head. "Oh no! This is the only place I want to be."

He reached across the table, and put his hand over hers. "Me, too. This was all I thought about when you were gone recuperating so long. I didn't know when I'd see you again, but I missed you every day."

"Me, too," she echoed.

"You've become very important to me, Hinata."

"You've always been important to me, Naruto."

He looked pleased. "Yeah? Really?"

"I've always taken courage from your example. I wouldn't be where I am today without you."

"I wish I'd known. I could have been—I don't know—more encouraging or something."

"You were encouraging just by being you."

The waitress interrupted them by bringing their first course. Naruto quickly withdrew his arm from across the table. It was too dark to read the waitress's expression, so he reasoned that she hadn't seen anything. He wasn't usually embarrassed by much—considering all the gaffs he'd made in his life he'd grown a thick skin—but he didn't want Hinata to feel uncomfortable.

"I guess our next step with this dating stuff is to find out more detailed things about each other," he began after chewing a bite of gyōza. "Although I've known you for over six years, there are many things I don't know about you."

"What things?" she asked in anticipation. She was eager to tell him whatever he wanted to know.

"Well—like—when's your birthday?—what's your favorite color?—what are your hobbies?" He listed off the top of his head. If he were an organized person, he would have researched what he should do on a date. He would have talked to more experienced people. He would have written things down. He would have been more prepared for his first date. But that wasn't who he was. He never thought this dating thing would be difficult. He was with Hinata not some strange girl he hardly knew. It should be like rolling off a log.

"December 27th. Blue. Gardening," she answered quickly. "I know your birthday to be October 10th. I think your favorite color must be orange. I don't know what hobbies you have—except eating ramen," she ended mischievously.

He stared at her. How did she know all those things about him? She was much more observant than he was. "Yeah, that's right. I like gardening, too, but I don't have much chance to do any. I don't have a garden, and out on missions all the time, I can't keep a house plant alive. I noticed the plants around your house—ajisan, satsuki, hagi, butan—did you plant those?"

She was pleased by his observations. He did have an interest in gardening just like her. "Yes, I did. When my father gave me the house it hadn't been used in a number of years. Everything was overgrown. I replaced many of the plants. I like flowers so I planted ornamental shrubs, and flowering vines."

"How long have you lived there?" He wasn't sure when his questions might become too intrusive. He'd stop if he noticed her becoming uncomfortable, but he was simply very curious about her. He knew things from others, but he wanted to hear her tell her story.

"I've lived there since I was accepted by Kurenai as a genin. I live independently from the main house, but I join the family for special celebrations or occasions," she explained.

"I know you have a father, sister and cousin—how many other family members do you have?"

"In the main family there is only my father, my sister and me. There are several cadet branches that look to my father as the head of the clan."

"Shouldn't you be the head of the clan one day?" That was something he didn't fully understand. She'd told him something of it a while back, but he'd found the Hyuga family puzzling since he'd first fought Neji in the chûnin exams. Neji's defeatist attitude was due to the way the Hyuga clan treated its cadet branches to protect its kekkei genkai. He hadn't liked what Neji had told him about the way the Hyuga main branch controlled the cadet branches. That day he'd proven to Neji that sometimes a _loser_ could win. He promised that when he became Hokage he'd put an end to such practices.

She shook her head sadly. "My father doesn't consider me proper leadership material. He's decided to favor Hanabi over me for the position of clan leader."

He frowned. "Isn't she a lot younger than you?"

"Five years only."

"What happened to your mother?"

"She died in childbirth with Hanabi." She couldn't keep the sadness from her voice.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I'm not very good at this kind of thing," he apologized. Damn! He'd made her look sad again.

She smiled at him. "It's alright, Naruto. I don't mind. I don't remember very much about my mother except that she smelled nice, she liked to sing to me, and she was very beautiful. I only know that my father became sterner and more distant after she died. He lost the two people closest to him within only a few years of one another. He must have been overwhelmingly grief stricken."

He shook his head at Hinata's sympathetic forgiving attitude. He didn't know if he could feel so kind in her place, but he knew nothing of family dynamics. He wished he did, That thought made him remember that he just might have a family to talk about when his turn came to share.

"Who else did he lose?"

"His twin brother, Hizashi, Neji's father. It was because of me. I sometimes wonder if that's why he doesn't like me," she said objectively.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"When I was three I was kidnapped, and my father killed the kidnapper to rescue me. The family of the kidnapper was from another village. They demanded retribution in the form of my father's death. Since they were identical twins, my uncle Hizashi took his place. I sometimes feel my father blames me for his death."

"That's crazy, Hinata. How could he blame a three year-old child for something she had no control over? You should forget about that idea, Hinata. He'd be a really despicable person to blame you for that."

"I know that Neji blamed my father for his father's sacrifice. He's been bitter ever since."

"That's different, Hinata. It's completely understandable for Neji to feel resentment if his father was forced to sacrifice his life in your father's stead. The cadet branches are supposed to protect the main branch so he didn't have a choice, did he?"

"I don't know. Neji seems to have reconciled with my father so there must have been more to the story than that. If so they haven't shared it with me."

"I'm sorry you have such a strained relationship with your father. I'm sorry I even brought it up if I've upset you. I don't want you to feel any unhappiness on this date."

She smiled at him. "No, no, I've grown accustomed to it. I don't usually let it bother me anymore. I want you to understand my relationship with my family, Naruto. You can ask me anything you like."

"I would say I'm glad I haven't had a family if they cause so much trouble—except that I just might have one after all," he said cheerfully.

"What do you mean?"

"Granny Tsunade introduced to me to a girl this afternoon who just might be my cousin."

"Really?! Tell me about her."

"Well, her name is Naomi Uzumaki, but she's got my coloring. Granny Tsunade thinks that strange because I guess I don't look like an Uzumaki. She's going to run some tests to find out if she really is who she says she is."

"Naruto, that's wonderful. What else do you know about her? Have you met her yet? When can I meet her?" she asked eagerly.

He laughed. "Yeah, I met her this afternoon. Granny Tsunade wants me to keep an eye on her. She's 14, and she lived all her life in a small village with her aunt who wasn't really her aunt. Guess who she was?"

She shook her head. "I can't imagine."

Naruto paused as their main course was served. He waited until they'd eaten a bite of the fondue before he continued his story.

"Her aunt was the Third's wife, Yukari Sarutobi," he announced.

"The Third's wife? I thought she was dead."

"Naomi had a picture. Granny Tsunade recognized her. She thought she'd died, too—the night the nine-tailed attacked the village."

Hinata thought about the strangeness of this revelation. What could it mean? "Why was she living with the Third's wife? Why has she come here now? Why the mystery?"

"Naomi doesn't really know anything about it. She was told to by Yukari Sarutobi to come here after she died. Naomi didn't know she had any other relatives. It's all still pretty much a mystery," he said with a shrug.

"Naruto, I still think it's wonderful that you have some family. No one ever says anything about your family. You never talk about family. I always thought it very sad that you were all alone."

"I'd always thought that strange, too. Jiraiya and Granny Tsunade told me about my parents a few years ago. There are some things about me that aren't supposed to be general knowledge—like my heritage. I'd like to tell you, but I'll have to ask if it's okay for you to know. I was really surprised when I found out. What I can tell you is that I'm named Uzumaki after my mother's family. She was a kunoichi from the Land of the Whirlpool. Apparently, she had red hair and a temper to match."

Hinata stared at him round eyed. She didn't realize Naruto knew so much about his parents. He'd never even hinted that he knew so much. "What was her name?"

"Kushina Uzumaki. That name won't mean much to most people. Only a few people in the village know my entire history, but I want you to know everything," he told her earnestly. "I want you to know all about me. I'm sure Granny Tsunade will agree."

"I'd like that."

They were quiet as they continued to eat. Naruto wished he'd thought to ask the Fifth earlier that day if he could tell Hinata his history. If he'd been more prepared for his date, he would have done. He didn't think there'd be a problem for Hinata to know. Too many families had lost loved ones to the nine-tailed to make his entire history generally known to the villagers. Even his team mates didn't know everything, although they knew more than most. And now with this new addition to the family, apparently no one but the dead knew the entire story.

Hinata made sure to give Naruto the majority of their shared meal. She didn't have a large appetite, and she knew he did. She was careful to take only small pieces, and chew slowly. She knew with his generous nature, he'd insist that she ate what he thought was her share. She would be hard put to deny him his pleasure in seeing her enjoy the meal as heartily as he did, so she made certain he didn't notice.

She loved watching him eat. He took so much pleasure in his food. She would enjoy cooking for him. It couldn't be healthy to eat ramen all the time. She would see that he ate more vegetables and fruits. She wanted so much to take care of him. She could tell by his everyday appearance that he had no one to take care of him. His hair grew too long before he cut it. He often had stains on his clothes. His clothes were never mended. That thought made her think back to their earlier conversation.

"I like to sew as a hobby, too," she said suddenly.

"Yeah? What do you sew?"

"I embroider pillows mostly. But I can mend tears in clothing and sew on buttons."

"I wish I could do that. I usually throw out my clothes when they get too many tears," he said ruefully.

"I'd be happy to mend your clothes for you, Naruto," she offered.

"You will? No, I can't ask you to do that, Hinata. That would turn a hobby into a chore."

"I wouldn't mind. Please. Bring me some things to mend. I'd enjoy it."

He scratched his head. Girls were strange creatures. "Well, I'll do that if you let me help you garden. I can do all the heavy work for you."

"That would be wonderful. I'd like to add a water garden to the back of my house. Would you help me do that?"

"Of course. On our next free day, we can make a date to work on your water garden. I'll bring you a few of my torn clothes, if you really want me to?"

"I do want you to," she said happily. She wanted to begin taking care of Naruto right away, but she would take it slowly. She didn't want to scare him off with her eagerness. They were just beginning their relationship. She knew where she wanted it to end up, but Naruto might not be thinking along those lines yet. She had to make him see how nice it would be for her to take care of him. The next time they were together, she'd cook for him, and mend his clothes. It would almost be like they were married. What a wonderful thought! Good thing it was somewhat dark in the restaurant so Naruto couldn't see the rosy blush flooding her cheeks.

* * *

The sun was setting as they left the restaurant.

Naruto took Hinata's hand again as they walked slowly towards the park in the center of the village. If Hinata wanted to walk or sit in the park, then he would make that wish come true. He really didn't mind at all that she didn't want to do anything on their first date that involved other people. He'd spent plenty of time with her around others. Now he wanted some alone time, too.

There were very few people walking about as they made their way through the twilight towards one particular park bench that Naruto knew would be dark and deserted. It was set back in the trees catching little light. He discovered this bench by accident one night. Despite his excellent night vision, he'd almost tripped over it when he wasn't paying attention. He'd never forgotten the position of that bench since he'd stubbed his toe on it. That had been better than falling on his face, although it had probably hurt just as much since he'd broken his big toe. But, of course, it had healed quickly.

They walked quietly just enjoying each other's company. The silence wasn't at all awkward for either of them. Both savored the fine dinner they'd just eaten, and the pleasant conversation. They each had new things to think about each other. Naruto was happy to do just that until he had a sudden thought.

"I wonder how the guard duty is split up tonight," he mused aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"From what I understand, Sakura, Ino, Kiba and Shino are on guard duty tonight. The only one of that group I wouldn't mind running into is Shino. I don't really want to meet up with any of the others tonight. I wondered if they're taking turns at the main gate or patrolling the streets."

"That's right. Lady Tsunade told us this morning that she had teams of four on guard duty. She didn't tell us exactly how the duties were divided, but taking turns at the main gate and patrolling seems the obvious strategy. I hope nothing unusual happens while most of the jônin are away." She'd forgotten all about the immediate Konoha concerns while on her date. She almost felt guilty, but not quite. She wanted this first date with Naruto to be perfect. Forgetting impending doom and disaster was the only way to do it.

"Not all the jônin. What about us?" he teased.

"Of course," she smiled. "Congratulations on your promotion, Naruto."

"Congratulations on yours, too. We'll have to celebrate. I never thought I'd get advancement so easily."

"It wasn't exactly easy. We all worked hard. Wouldn't tonight be considered a kind of celebration?"

"Unh unh. Tonight is our date alone. We'll plan another night for a celebration."

"What can we do to celebrate?"

"I'll think of something. Give me a few days."

"Okay," she agreed happily.

They arrived at the secluded park bench a few minutes later. Once Hinata was seated, Naruto sat down and rested his arm across the back of the bench behind her. He stretched out his legs, and leaned back to look up at the stars. "Hinata, relax. Rest your head on my shoulder. We can look at the stars. I like looking up at the stars, don't you?"

Gingerly she laid her head in the crook between his shoulder and arm. It was most comfortable. She was very aware of Naruto curling his arm around her to hold her against him. She felt him scoot closer to her. For awhile they sat silently staring up at the sky until they heard an animal-like noise and a rustling in the woods behind them. They both sat up to listen, but the noise stopped before they could clearly make it out.

"It must have been some animals fighting. Cats, maybe," Naruto murmured. Now that Hinata was looking at him not the stars, he drew her closer, and cupped her chin in his hand. He tilted his head, bent down and kissed her. She closed her eyes letting touch be her guide.

She tasted just as sweet and soft as he remembered from their last kiss. He felt her melt against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He couldn't seem to get close enough, so he scooped her up and set her on his lap all the while kissing her. She'd stiffened in surprise when he first moved her, but then settled back into his arms her head almost resting against his shoulder. She smelled like flowers. He moved his mouth against hers, and traced her mouth with his tongue gently nudging it open to taste more of her.

His hand felt hot resting on her thigh. She stroked the back of his head enjoying the feel of his unruly hair beneath her fingers. She felt his other hand move from the back of her neck to her shoulder and down her arm. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm before wrapping his own arm more tightly around her. She could barely breathe as she felt the rough texture of his tongue slide along hers, and she moaned softly into his mouth.

She didn't know where Naruto had learned to kiss like this. She simply followed his lead, and learned what pleased him and herself. She didn't know she could kiss like this either—not without pulling away from embarrassment. But it was Naruto. She felt warm, excited, and desired. Naruto seemed to enjoy kissing her, and she loved it. She'd never imagined being so close to him or doing anything so intimate. She loved him so much. She didn't care what happened as long as she was with him.

Finally, he broke the long kiss. Breathing heavily, their faces still only centimeters apart, they stared at one another in a bemused amazement.

While he recovered from that intense kiss, he caressed her cheek, and traced her mouth with his thumb. The way she responded to his kiss made him wonder that he'd ever thought her timid. He wanted to kiss her, and caress her even more, but not in public. Even a dark, secluded park was still a public place where anyone could come up to them. He'd hate for one of the patrolling shinobi to discover them. This was too new and special for them to be discovered this way. He didn't want Hinata teased even worse then she had been on their last mission. He didn't want any unpleasantness to be associated with their burgeoning relationship.

As he sat there with Hinata on his lap, his attention was wholly taken up with the softness of her skin, the plumpness of her mouth, the sweet smell of her hair until he was startled back to reality when she suddenly grabbed his hand to stop him.

"What?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Shush! Listen!" she whispered.

The night was still. Not even a breeze rustled the leaves. Far away, they could hear someone laugh, a door slam, a cat meow. Much closer, in the woods behind them, as they listened, they heard a low, moan. It didn't sound like an animal this time. It sounded like a person in pain or distress.


	7. A date with Naruto, part three

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

VII. A date with Naruto, part three

It was very dark in the woods behind their park bench. It was the densest woody area in the park. Night noises seemed to be completely absent from that spot, but that might have just been his imagination as all his senses were concentrated on listening for another moan or something more sinister. A younger Naruto would have rushed forward impulsively towards the source of the moan. The older and wiser Naruto considered his options and their consequences before making any move in a direction that could be dangerous.

"I've got great night vision, but I can't see through trees. Your Byakugan is much better than my eyes, Hinata. What do you see?" he asked softly as they stood on the side of the bench facing the woods.

She peered into the darkness before them with her Byakugan engaged. "A meter to the right about 15 meters ahead there's a body on the ground. I think it's a man. His life force is weak. He needs to be rescued—and soon." She started forward, but Naruto barred her way with his arm.

"Wait. Do you see anyone or anything near him? Anything threatening? Anything we need to fight?"

She shook her head. "Nothing unusual or close beside him. Are you thinking he may have been attacked rather than just sick? You think that the perpetrator might still be in the vicinity?"

He shrugged. "Hey, better safe than sorry."

She smiled up at him. "Naruto, you've changed. Shikamaru must have rubbed off on you."

"I'm learning. Even I can sometimes see a need for caution," he admitted ruefully. "If you don't see anyone or anything threatening him, then we aren't both needed here. Hinata, I want you to go for the medics. I'll stay with him."

She held onto his arm this time stopping him from moving forward. "I should stay. I can see any danger approaching in the dark. If he was attacked that threat may return—whatever it might be."

"No, you go. My night vision's adequate for this situation. My hearing's pretty keen, too. I bet you can run faster than me."

She looked at him in surprise as an idea dawned on her. "Naruto, are you trying to protect me?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I don't know. Maybe. I just know I can't leave you here alone not knowing if there's any potential danger waiting somewhere outside your range. Go on, Hinata. You said he needed rescue soon. You'd better hurry."

She stopped arguing. It didn't matter which of them stayed, they both were equally equipped to handle the situation. However, he was very sweet to spare her the dark, lonely and possibly dangerous vigil. "Right. I'll be back as soon as I can. Take care." Her fingers brushed his hand in a farewell gesture before she turned and took off at a run.

Naruto watched her go a moment before turning back to the wood. Great night vision was another perk of the nine-tail's habitation in his body. He could see as well as a fox able to find prey in the dark. He'd learned over the years to make use of all Kyuubi's abilities when necessary.

He walked forward cautiously. It was so dark and quiet in the little woods he felt like an interloper. He could walk almost silently if he chose, however, Hinata had seen nothing unusual in the vicinity so he was probably safe to make as much noise as he wanted, but he didn't go to that extreme. Years of training in caution were not so easily shaken. He may not have been silent, but he was much quieter than the average person as he made his way through the brush towards the reclining man.

He moved forward with a little jog towards the right. As he grew closer the moans seemed to grow further apart, but were louder. He followed the sound as well as his eyes to the prone man lying on his back on the ground. Except for the moans, he was as still as the dead.

There was a slender sliver of moonlight shining through a break in the trees overhead. Falling nearby, it provided a better chance for Naruto to make out the scene before him. After one glance at his face, Naruto knew that he didn't recognize him, but the man gave the appearance of any Konoha resident. He wore workman's clothes typical to many professions, but no jacket in anticipation of the cool evening. Nor did he appear to be carrying a pack or bag. If he'd had anything there was always the possibility that it had been stolen. Perhaps his condition was the result of a robbery.

Even in the darkness, he appeared unusually pale. His skin seemed to glow eerily white in the darkness. Naruto crouched on the ground beside him, and felt his pulse. It was fast and shallow. The man's eyes were closed, and through his slightly opened mouth the moans seemed more involuntary rushes of air between his teeth than an effort at communication. Naruto touched his hand again. It felt very cold.

He placed a hand on the man's forehead. It, too, was cold. "Hello, I'm here to help you. Can you tell me your name? What happened? Are you hurt? What can I do to help you?" he asked not expecting an answer, but trying to reassure him anyway.

The man gave no response to his questions or the hand on his forehead—nary a moan, flicker of eyelids, turn of the head or twitch of the hand to indicate that he heard or felt Naruto's presence. He could have been in a deep sleep, unconscious or drugged. Naruto couldn't tell.

He studied the prone form looking for any sign of a wound. Not knowing the nature of his injury, he was loath to move him. He might do more harm than good if he moved him in the wrong way. He gently felt down his arm, side and leg, but there was nothing obvious on his left side to indicate an injury. He moved around to the right to follow the same procedure. That was when he saw the trickle of blood on his neck showing black against the pale skin. He bent closer to study the area.

There appeared to be two small wounds in his neck not more than a few centimeters apart with a small trickle of blood from each opening. The blood was still slightly wet reflecting in a thin ragged band the meager light of the moon. He could smell it with his fox senses now that he was relying on them to help him scan the area. He wondered that he hadn't scented it before. His sense of smell could be quite acute at times.

It was an odd wound in an odd place. He wondered if the man had been bitten by an animal—a poisonous one would account for his extreme inertia. Perhaps it had been a snake which was the only animal he could think of that could make a mark with just two puncture wounds. Any other animal would make a mark with a bottom and top indentation of teeth. Another possibility struck him—if not an animal then a large insect or possibly a large spider could have made a set of punctures. Maybe the snake or spider had fallen from a tree branch onto his shoulder and had bitten him in the neck. He didn't like spiders. He almost shuddered to imagine the size of the spider that could have made puncture wounds so large. Surely, Hinata would have seen such a creature lurking in the woods? Since she hadn't it was probably a really wild idea. Spiders just didn't get that big—did they?

He dismissed the spider theory and returned to the snake idea. He still wondered why the man hadn't called out, thrashed about more so he and Hinata could have found him sooner? Could the attack have been so quick the man hadn't had time to make a sound? Maybe he'd just crumbled to the ground rather then fallen. If that were the case, wouldn't he be in more of a heap instead of spread out so freely on the ground? He didn't look like he'd put up a struggle at all.

He remembered hearing a small scuffle in the woods just before he'd kissed Hinata. It hadn't sounded loud or prolonged enough for a man being surprised by an animal attack. How long could the man have been lying there? With his wound still bleeding, if only slightly, it couldn't have been long. Why hadn't he and Hinata heard him sooner? How had this attack taken place so quietly and neatly within such a short distance from two fairly experienced ninja?

He sat back on his heels. There wasn't much Naruto could do for the man since he hadn't any medical skills, but he'd do what he could. He took off his jacket, leaned forward, and tucked it around the man to try to keep him warm. Periodically, he checked his pulse, and spoke to him. He watched for signs of venom, but the tell-tale red streaks never appeared on his neck. For most of his wait, he simply sat back again, and anticipated a rescue party.

It took about thirty minutes before Hinata, two medics, and the Fifth arrived on the scene. Naruto could hear them, and see the torches they carried to illuminate the darkness before he actually saw them.

"Naruto!" Tsunade called out.

He stood up and took a few steps away from the man. "Over here!" he called, and waved his arms.

He watched as they made their way through the brush to where he stood. There was nothing silent or cautious in their approach so they arrived more quickly than Naruto had earlier. Hinata didn't hover in the background as usual, but came over to stand closely beside him.

"Look on the right side of his neck. There's a wound there," he pointed out to the Fifth. He stayed back where he was with Hinata, and left the field to the experts. He hadn't expected the Fifth to show up. He wouldn't have considered this to be the kind of situation to bring out their topnotch medical expert. Perhaps the Fifth was just being overly cautious in the precarious situation the village was in with their most experienced ninja out on assignment.

Tsunade hunched down on the right side of the man, and began her examination before she allowed the medics to place him on the stretcher. She was quick, checking his vital signs, and the wound Naruto pointed out to her. She stood up when she was finished. "Take him to the hospital quickly. Type him as soon as you get him there. He needs a blood transfusion immediately," she ordered, standing up after her hasty examination.

The medics moved efficiently, one to the head and one to the foot, and carefully picked the man up and placed him onto the stretcher, lifted it then rapidly moved out of the wood. Tsunade stayed behind to search the area where he was found, and to question Naruto and Hinata. She shone her torch over the ground vacated by the man.

"Tell me about how you found him," she commanded them after she'd thoroughly scanned the area.

They exchanged a glance then Naruto began. "We were sitting on the bench looking up at the stars when we heard a moan. Hinata used her Byakugan to find out where and who the moan was coming from. She saw a man alone on the ground. There was nothing threatening near him. She went for help, and I stayed with him until help arrived," Naruto explained succinctly.

"You didn't hear any attack?"

"No." They both shook their head.

"Did you hear anything unusual?"

They looked at each other again. Hinata gestured for Naruto to do the talking. "Well, we heard something in the wood, but it didn't sound alarming or significant. We thought it was just an animal. It didn't sound like someone falling down, did it, Hinata?"

She shook her head. "No, it didn't."

Tsunade rubbed her chin. "It's a very strange situation. That man is missing a great deal of blood. The wound on his neck is still fresh, yet there's no blood here on the ground where he was found. So either whatever attacked him took the blood or his body was simply dumped here after the attack. Yet you both heard nothing. Are you certain you weren't too distracted to hear anything?" she asked shrewdly. She'd assumed _looking up at the stars _to be a euphemism for something more distracting. They might have been too absorbed to hear anything significant.

This time they looked everywhere, but at each other or the Fifth. It was too dark to see that both were quite flushed. "I'm sure we would have heard an attack or a body being dumped in the wood—unless it wasn't an ordinary attack or a ninja," Naruto answered after thinking back furiously for a few seconds. All he could remember was Hinata's soft breathy response to his kiss, his own heavier breathing, and the embarrassing-if-heard-by-others sounds of their kiss. If he'd heard anything that hadn't sounded natural, he was certain he'd have stopped whatever he was doing immediately. Of course, he'd never been in that particular situation before, so he might be wrong about his reactions.

"I see. Well, we'll check out this area in the morning, but if neither of you can see anything out of place here then there probably isn't anything to see. Hinata, why don't you give the area a once over before we leave?"

Hinata used her Byakugan to search the area. "I don't see anything unusual. I don't see any blood at all."

Tsunade slapped her hand on her thigh. "Okay. Let's hope the man recovers enough to tell us what happened. You two can go on home. I'll know more tomorrow. There's no sense in alarming the patrol until I know what to tell them. Remember to report to me at least thirty minutes before guard duty tomorrow night. If I learn anything new, there may be more instructions for you at that time," she told them brusquely then stalked off towards the hospital.

"I guess we'd better call it a night," Naruto said regretfully as he and Hinata picked their way carefully out of the wood.

"I guess so," she responded just as regretfully. It had been a wonderful date while it had lasted. She couldn't have asked for a better one until that last bit.

He took her hand as they walked slowly back towards her house. They were silent for a few minutes until Naruto said, "I'm sorry."

"Why? You didn't do anything," she asked in surprise.

"I think I must be unlucky. What were the odds that we'd have an incident during our date? That's just the kind of luck I have."

She tilted her head, and put her free hand thoughtfully to her chin. "Naruto, don't be silly! Think of the circumstances. You and I are ninja. We can't help but notice anomalies. If we were an ordinary couple would we have noticed anything out of the ordinary? After that first moan, we would have claimed it to be the wind, and high-tailed it out of there."

He grinned. "When you put it like that—it would have been strange if nothing unusual had happened on our date."

She continued. "Plus, it might have been lucky for that man that we found him. Considering the massive blood loss, he would probably not have survived a night in the woods. Hypothermia would have overtaken him very shortly if we hadn't found him. Instead of unlucky, you might actually be very lucky," she reasoned.

"I like your logic, Hinata. I'm lucky to have you as a girlfriend."

She blushed. There—he'd said it—the words she'd never thought to hear. Not tonight. Not ever. "Am I?" she asked softly, longingly.

Naruto couldn't pretend he didn't understand her question. He'd opened the door deliberately. As usual, he couldn't help rushing things. He didn't know why he thought a rejection would be easier to take if he didn't ask the question directly, but he did. He thought this way would cushion a blow better than to come out and ask. She could have ignored his implication. She could have strenuously denied it. She could have laughed in his face. She didn't do any of those awful things, but she still had the opportunity. Bravely, he persevered.

"If you want to be," he said simply.

"Well, I wouldn't want to take your luck away," she answered hesitantly holding back her joy. She was afraid that exposing her true and utter enthusiasm would scare him off.

That wasn't quite the answer he was expecting. It didn't really tell him how she truly felt. He had to have a real answer. "Forget about that. What do you want, Hinata?" he asked urgently. He stopped walking. He turned to face her, and took her other hand in his. He wished he'd stopped under a street light, and not in a darkened spot the fingernail of a moon couldn't even light up adequately. He had to trust to his fox senses to make out her expression.

She raised her eyes to his dear face. "You. I want you," she whispered hoarsely. Her voice wouldn't come out. She was revealing the secret she thought she would never utter to the one person she thought would never hear it or care to hear it.

He gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. "You've got me. I've got you, too" he said, and drew her into a warm enveloping hug.

They stood like that for several minutes. Her head rested against his shoulder. His chin rested atop her head. His arms were wrapped completely around her. Her arms circled his waist. They leaned against each other.

Naruto wanted to just hold her forever. There was so much more he could say, but this was enough for now. This was a beginning they could build on. He didn't want to rush things any more than he already had. He wanted this to be perfect. It was too important to go too fast.

Finally, he awkwardly cleared his throat, and slowly released her. "I guess I'd better get you home. We're on guard duty tomorrow night—it is still today, isn't it? We haven't been out that long have we?" He took her hand, and started walking again in the direction of her house.

"I don't think it's midnight yet," she said. Her voice didn't sound normal to her ears. Her throat still felt constricted. She wanted to cry tears of joy and relief. Naruto couldn't possibly know how happy he'd made her with his simple declaration.

They walked along silently again. Naruto wasn't sure what to say next. Before he could think of something that didn't sound too mundane, they'd reached her house. They lingered outside her door both feeling a little awkward and unsure. It was a situation neither had been in before.

He suddenly remembered his new cousin, and the lunch he'd promised to have with Sakura tomorrow. He had to at least fulfill his promise to Lee before he could concentrate on his own romance. "Hinata," he said in a rush. "There's some stuff I have to do tomorrow—I don't know if I'll see you before our guard duty."

She reached up, and lightly touched his cheek. "It's okay, Naruto. We don't have to be together all the time."

He grabbed her hand. "I know—but I want to—I want to be with you as much as possible. I feel—I don't know—I miss you when you're not with me."

She looked at him in wonder. "I miss you, too."

He cradled her face between his hands, bent down and kissed her. He didn't make it a deep kiss. He'd never want to leave if he did that—and it was hard enough as it was. He couldn't believe how settling the question of whether she was his girlfriend had made him feel so connected to her now. He still felt a deep longing, but he felt at peace, too. It was very strange. Maybe his feelings would become less jumbled and tenuous as they saw each other more often on dates rather than missions.

He reluctantly drew his mouth from hers. She had her hands over his holding them to her cheeks. He turned his hands to envelope hers, and lowered them to hang between their bodies.

"Sleep well, Hinata. I'll see you tomorrow." He gently squeezed and released her hands then stepped back from the door.

"Good night, dear Naruto," she said softly. She opened her door, stepped inside. and gave him a little wave before finally closing it.

_Dear Naruto_. He grinned. Putting his hands in his pockets he sauntered home with his usual cocky walk. He had a _girlfriend!_ Hot damn!


	8. Naomi tours Konoha

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

VIII. Naomi tours Konoha

Naruto thought he'd have trouble sleeping that night, but he was gone as soon as he head hit the pillow. He'd never slept so well, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd awoken with a grin on his face. Having a girlfriend was fantastic.

He stacked his hands behind his head, and lay back to enjoy the headiness of that circumstance when the other not so pleasant realities broke into his fanciful thoughts to hit him squarely in the solar plexus.

With a groan, he rolled over in bed to bury his head in his pillow, remembering the lunch he'd promised to have with Sakura, and the maybe cousin he had to keep an eye on, and the man he and Hinata had found in the woods in the park, and last but not least the war that could be in Konoha's future. All those nasty realities piled up high trying to blot out his happiness, but only momentarily succeeded. The reality that was Hinata—sunshine in any language—rose up to cast all those ugly thoughts into a small, dark corner of his mind to be dealt with when and if necessary.

_Everything would work out_, he thought reassuringly. He wouldn't let all that unpleasant stuff mess with his head now. All that was in the future, some closer than others, but so what?. Here and now he was just too happy to let any of that affect him. _Hinata_ _is my_ _girlfriend_. That was the only important thing in his life right now. He couldn't wait to see her later that day even if it was during work.

He jumped out of bed full of energy to start his day, and get him closer to his goal of seeing Hinata. He washed, dressed, and ate breakfast quickly before hitting the road.

He'd never been to the Fifth's house, but he knew in general where it was located. The Hokage's always lived in the same house while they were Hokage. It was in an older neighborhood similar to the Hyuga's where many of the wealthier inhabitants of Konoha lived. He looked at the large homes in their large yards with great interest. Someday he'd live in a place as big as one of these. Someday he'd be wealthy and respected. Someday he'd be Hokage. He just knew it.

As he walked down the street closing in on the Fifth's house, he heard someone calling his name. He turned around in surprise to see Konohamaru coming out of the house next door to the Fifth's.

"Hey, Naruto," he greeted. "Whatcha doin' around here?" He stuffed something in his mouth, the last of his breakfast probably. His headband trailed under his arm, and he hopped on one foot while still getting his sandal on the other. By the time he reached Naruto, he was shod, and tying his headband in back of his unruly head of brown hair.

Naruto turned his back to the Fifth's house to face his young friend. He looked the same as always—a little older, but still half kid. "You live here, Konohamaru?"

"Yeah." He waved to the house behind him. "This was Grandfather's house. He owned it before he became Hokage. It's mine now," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right," Naruto said and his welcoming grin flattened into a somber line.

They looked towards the house, and gave the Third a silent memorial second before continuing their conversation in a lighter vein.

"So, Naruto, whatcha doin' around here? Are you going to the Fifth's house? She's probably already gone to work. She usually leaves early," he said knowledgably.

He threw a thoughtful glance over his shoulder to the Fifth's house. "She might not have come home at all last night," he murmured absently.

"Oh, yeah? Why not?"

Naruto put his hands in his pockets. "We found an injured man in the park last night. He might not have recovered enough to tell us what happened. She may still be trying to figure out what attacked him," Naruto answered grimly. He didn't think it would be a secret from Konohamaru. He was a ninja, too, and should be privy to the same information they all would have sometime today. He hoped it would be good news.

"What do you mean _what attacked him_?"

"Well, he had a weird bite on his neck—just two big puncture wounds—and he was missing a lot of blood. He was so pale he didn't look like he had any blood left, but he was still alive when we found him," he explained succinctly.

Konohamaru's eyes widened. "Wow! What do you suppose it was?"

"Don't know, but I don't want to think about what could have sucked out the guy's blood without leaving a single drop on the ground. We searched—the Fifth, too—and there was nothing on the ground or any sign of what had attacked him."

"No way! That's creepy."

"Tell me about it. I stayed with the guy while Hin—while the person I was with went to get help. It was pitch black in those woods. I couldn't see a thing, and it was way too quiet. I couldn't help imagining a really big fat snake or spider lurking in those woods nearby waiting to pounce on me next," he gave an exaggerated shudder as he dramatically told his story.

Konohamaru completely missed Naruto's near slip of Hinata's name, and laughed at his spooky story and pseudo-shudder. However, before he could ask any more questions, they were interrupted by another voice calling Naruto's name. This time it was Naomi running out of the Fifth's house. He turned away from Konohamaru to greet her.

"Naruto! Were you coming to get me?" she asked coming to an abrupt halt in front of him. However, she wasn't looking at him, but at Konohamaru who was looking right back with as much interest. She wore the same oversized, sexless outfit she had on yesterday—down to the shaggy blonde ponytail on the back of her head. But she looked clean, neat and combed, a credit to the name Uzumaki—which was the important thing.

"Yeah, that's right, I was. I—" he began to explain, but wasn't allowed to finish.

"Hi, I'm Konohamaru," he said, brushing past Naruto. He held out his hand to her.

She shook it without hesitation. "Hi. Konohamaru. Like the village?"

"Yeah. My grandfather was the Third. He named me that. Don't ask me why. I never liked it." He shrugged.

"It's kinda cute." She gave him a sunny smile.

He smiled back. "Ya' think so? I bet yours is cuter. What's your name?"

"Naomi."

"That's definitely a cuter name. No kinda about it."

Naruto would have been nauseated by this exchange, if he hadn't been so surprised at Konohamaru's suavity. He hadn't been nearly as smooth as that at the same age. Come to think of it, he wasn't that smooth even now. Where did he pick up this stuff?

"Ah, Konohamaru—" he tried to interrupt, but no one was listening to him.

"Say, are you a relative of Naruto's?"

"Is it so obvious?" she asked coyly, and tossed her pony tail. She was thoroughly enjoying the attention of a cute boy about her own age obviously interested in her. There had been very few of those in her short life.

"Similar hair and eyes, but on you it looks good—really good."

She was giggling now. "That's very sweet of you to say. Naruto's my cousin. I'm an Uzumaki."

Now Naruto really did want to gag at his cousin's suddenly girlish behavior. Until about a minute ago he'd have thought most people would've confused her with a boy. Now there was no question what sex she was. He wondered how Konohamaru had figured it out so quickly. "Don't you have something to do, Konohamaru? We don't want to keep you," he interrupted in a louder voice this time. He wasn't about to foster this little flirtation. He suddenly felt protective of his new little cousin.

"Nope, nothing until later this afternoon," he said cheerfully, and stood there waiting, and watching Naomi.

"Don't you usually hang out with Moegi and Udon?"

He waved his hand. "Sure, but we've got no definite plans. Those are some team mates of mine," he airily explained to Naomi. "We've been assigned night guard duty with some of the jônin still here in the village. All the chûnin and genin have been assigned to help. I'm off until after lunch then I take duty at the main gate until the night guards turn up."

"So which group do you work with?"

"Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee and Tenten. Neji's really awesome. I wish I had a kekkei genkai. His is so cool."

"You think so? I like Lee better even without a kekkei genkai."

"Yeah, he's okay, too—especially since he got engaged to Sakura. Who'da thought that would happen? She's a total babe."

"I've met her. She's very pretty," Naomi agreed.

"Hey, didn't you used to like her, Naruto?"

He frowned. "Maybe when I was your age. Never mind that. We should be off," Naruto said hastily. He didn't want to talk about the past especially with Naomi standing there absorbing everything like a little sponge. There were some things she didn't need to know.

"Where are you going? Can I come to?" he asked eagerly giving Naomi a winning smile.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. Ordinarily, he sorta enjoyed Konohamaru's company, but if he continued to smarm his cousin or bring up embarrassing subjects, he didn't think he'd be able to tolerate the brat. "If you stop being annoying, you can come along until lunch. We've got an important lunch meeting. You can't come."

"Annoying? What do you mean?" he demanded indignantly. "Am I annoying you?" he asked Naomi.

She shook her head, but Naruto gave her no time to respond.

"No more flirting with my cousin, okay?"

He flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just being polite. You wouldn't want me to be rude, and ignore her—would you?"

"Polite? Is that what it's called? Well, knock it off. You're making my stomach turn with your slick politeness."

"Cousin Naruto! That's mean," Naomi protested. "Isn't he your friend? He was just being nice. I hope all your friends are this nice."

"They better not be," he said under his breath. More loudly he said, "Yeah, well, just tone it down, okay? Treat her just like you would me."

"Whatever you say, oh mighty Naruto" Konohamaru gave him an exaggerated bow then sprang up with a grin for Naomi. "So where are _we_ going?"

"Actually, nowhere in particular. I'm just showing her around the village," he confessed.

"I could do that then you could go do whatever you need to do," Konohamaru volunteered eagerly. "Haven't you just gotten back from a mission?"

Naruto gave the idea a moment's thought, but the Fifth had told him to keep an eye on Naomi. He didn't think she'd approve of him passing the job off to someone else—especially someone so obviously ill-suited for the job. Konohamaru had about the same skills at sneaky that he did. Besides, he wanted to get to know her himself. She could very well be his cousin. He shook his head. "I just met Naomi yesterday, Konohamaru. She's the only family I have. I'd like to get to know her better—if that's alright with you?"

"Yeah, sure. I didn't know. So what'll we show her first?"

Naruto put his hands on his hips, and stared off into the distance. "I don't know. What about the ninja school? Will anyone be there with all the jônin gone? I wish Iruka sensei were here. You should meet him, Naomi. He's a great teacher. He's my favorite teacher."

"Hey, that's a great idea. There might be some kids there training or studying. I don't think anyone's officially been assigned to teach in Iruka and the other teachers absence. They're on a mini-vacation until one of them return."

"I'd like to see the ninja school," Naomi agreed excitedly. "I'd like to be a ninja."

They turned, and started off towards the direction of the school. Naruto found himself alone in the lead with Konohamaru and Naomi lagging behind. It reminded him too much of himself and Hinata on their last mission with Shikamaru and Choji. He made sure to keep close enough to hear what they were saying. He wasn't about to encourage this puppy romance especially since he wasn't yet sure that Naomi was his cousin. Besides, he thought Konohamaru was already smitten with his team mate Moegi. If they ran into her things could get ugly. Just what he needed—to be caught in another romantic contretemps. Sakura and Lee were bad enough to deal with. He wasn't about to add another quarreling couple to his already full schedule.

Konohamaru knew a lot more people than Naruto did. Almost everyone they passed greeted him while just half as many greeted Naruto. He only paused to introduce Naomi to a select few on the way. Naruto was able to meet a few new people himself before they reached the school.

"Wow! A real school!" Naomi exclaimed as they entered the building.

"Didn't you go to school?"

She shook her head. "Our village was too small for a school. My aunt taught me my lessons."

They walked through the building with Naomi exclaiming over every classroom. Unfortunately, the place was deserted so they couldn't introduce her to any teachers or students. They finally lured her outside after Naruto promised faithfully to bring her back once Iruka had returned.

"So, Naomi where did you live before you came here?" Konohamaru asked as they came out into the school yard.

"Kuzu, a little village in the North of the Fire Country. You've probably never heard of it."

"I can't say I have. Geography was never my best subject. What about you, Naruto?"

"I'm with you Konohamaru. I can follow a map—that's all I need to know."

"But you're ninja! That can't be true! Surely, you need to know your geography? I know where every major city, town and village, except the hidden ones, in the main countries of Fire, Water, Rice and Earth. I know where the countries of Grass, Lightning, Rain, Wave, Water, Waterfall, and Wind are located plus the names of their hidden villages," she bragged.

"Wow! How can anyone so cute know so much?" Konohamaru said admiringly.

Naruto held his tongue, and allowed Konohamaru to do the questioning. It came more naturally from him. Naruto would feel too much the spy Tsunade had designated him. He wanted Naomi to really be his cousin, and to find out about her in the course of their acquaintance not because it was his duty. This assignment really sucked!

"I had no choice. My aunt was very strict. I had to study all the time."

"If you know so much, and you really want to be a ninja, you'll probably be able to test out of all the school stuff. How much ninja stuff have you learned?"

"My aunt taught me quite a bit, but she said I had to be accepted as a genin before I could learn jutsus."

"Was your aunt a kunoichi?"

"She told me she had been in her youth."

"From what village?"

"This one. She was born and raised in Konoha."

"Really? She couldn't have been an Uzumaki. I don't think there are any in the village except for Naruto. Who was she?"

This time Naruto interrupted. He wasn't sure the Fifth wanted this information broadcast especially to Konohamaru. How would he react to the news that his grandmother had been alive up until a few weeks ago, and had never contacted him? Not after the Third had been killed or even Asuma. That would be difficult to hear since he was all alone now.

"Let's take Naomi up top of the Hokage Rock before we leave the school area," he said hastily. "The view of the village is terrific up there."

"Yeah. That's a good idea. We can point out a lot more stuff up from up there," Konohamaru readily agreed.

"We can go on top?" Naomi asked wide-eyed.

"Sure. I used to do it all the time."

"I heard you used to practice a little graffiti up there," Konohamaru suggested with a sly grin.

Naruto frowned at him. "Malicious rumors. Hey, Konohamaru, I bet I can beat you to the stairs."

"Oh yeah, old man. I'd like to see that." He waved his arm, and took off at a run.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief when Konohamaru seemed to have forgotten his question. He held Naomi's arm to keep her at a job by his side instead of running full out after Konohamaru. Impatiently, she tried to shake him off, but his hand tightened on her arm.

"Don't tell Konohamaru about your aunt," he said softly.

She looked at him in surprise. "Why not?"

"Yukari Sarutobi was his grandmother. She left Konoha before he was born. I don't want him upset to find out she'd been alive all these years."

Her eyes widened, and she looked ahead solemnly at Konohamaru. He hadn't missed them yet. "I didn't realize. I won't breathe a word about it—but what if he should ask me again?"

"You can tell him her first name. If he assumes she was named Uzumaki, too, so much the better. He doesn't know the details of our family."

She nodded her head. "You can count on me, Cousin Naruto."

"Good."

"Hey, Naruto, if you weren't serious about racing why'd you even suggest it?" Konohamaru had stopped to yell back at them. He stood impatiently with his hands on his hips.

They ran forward to catch up to him. "Sorry. I got distracted. Naomi was asking me why you weren't as good-looking as your grandfather. She was really impressed with his carving in the Hokage Rock." That was the best he could come up with to disguise his quiet talk with Naomi.

"I did not!" Naomi protested indignantly.

"Very funny, Naruto. The old man was a great Hokage, but I inherited the looks in the family," he bragged as he jabbed his thumb into his chest.

"Yeah? When was the last time you looked in a mirror?" he retorted.

"Just this morning. Unlike you, mine doesn't break whenever I look into it."

"Be careful, pretty boy, when you insult me you insult every Uzumaki in the world."

"I don't think so. It occurs to me that the Uzumaki family are like the opposite of bird species. The males are the plain ones, and the females the beauties."

"That was smart, Konohamaru. If I disagree with you I'd be insulting my own cousin. I guess you win this round, brat."

"I am smart," he responded smugly. "Should we argue about that next?"

"Not with Naomi here to show us up. Instead, maybe we should test her skills on all that geography knowledge she bragged to us about. Maybe she was exaggerating."

"I was not! Ask me anything you want, but how will you know if I'm right?"

"What do you mean?"

"If neither of you know any geography, I could make up anything—and you wouldn't know the difference," she pointed out confidently.

"Oh, I think Konohamaru and I can come up with some questions we know the answers to. What do you say, Konohamaru?"

He forgot all about impressing a lady as his eyes lit up with battle fever. He was only 14 after all, and still half kid. "You're on. What will the prize be?"

"The winner has to bow to the loser, and claim him or her Master of World Geography."

"That's not much of a forfeit," Konohamaru said in disappointment.

Naruto wagged a finger at him. "I know what you're thinking, and you can forget about it. Remember this is my cousin, and I've outlawed flirtation. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Whatever you say. Why don't you ask the first question?"

They spent about fifteen minutes playing this game. Neither Naruto nor Konohamaru could think of enough questions they knew the answers to for longer play. Needless to say, Naomi was named Queen of World Geography.

Naruto couldn't help a growing suspicion in her extensive knowledge about the layout of so many countries. If she wasn't his cousin—could she be a spy for the new Country of Stone?


	9. Lunch with Sakura

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

IX. Lunch with Sakura

Finally, it was close to noon, and Naruto breathed a silent sigh of relief knowing they were soon to be rid of Konohamaru.

Naruto still couldn't believe how smooth the kid was with the ladies. He'd had Naomi smiling, giggling and blushing all morning. Too bad it wasn't stuff he could use with Hinata. It had definitely been 14-year-old charm, but it had been fairly successful on another 14-year-old. He thought it might even work for Konohamaru on females even older, but Naruto could never have pulled it off. Even he admitted that he was too blunt and honest for smooth. Anyway, he managed well enough with simple sincerity—at least, Hinata seemed to like him. He wouldn't worry about trying to be any more charming than he already was if she was satisfied.

He tried not to think about the fact that Konohamaru lived right next door to Naomi, and could walk over to see her any time. He still had plenty of time to nip this romance in the bud. Until he knew that Naomi was really his cousin, he wouldn't encourage any relationships with anyone in the village. But that wasn't his primary reason for wanting this flirtation stopped. Naomi was much too young to be of real interest to or interested in boys. He'd have a man to man talk with Konohamaru in the near future to discourage him from practicing his flirtation techniques on Naomi. Besides he didn't think he could handle another day of it.

They walked Konohamaru to the front gate as part of their tour of the village. Unfortunately, his companion in guard duty was someone Naruto wasn't prepared to meet just yet. If he could have gotten away without being seen, he would definitely have performed that cowardly act.

"Naruto! It is good to see you," Lee greeted him enthusiastically, and gripped his shoulder. "Have you anything to report to me?"

He gently shrugged off Lee's hand. "Hey, it's only been a day. Cut me some slack, Lee."

His face fell in disappointment. "Of course. Forgive me, Naruto. I do not wish to pressure you." So saying he gave Naruto's shoulder another quick squeeze.

Naruto began to feel guilty at his abrupt response. Sure, he hadn't been given much choice in the matter, but even if Lee had been less desperate he'd probably have agreed to help him whatever the problem. He didn't know how to say no to his friends. "Look, Lee, we're having lunch with Sakura in a little while. I'll see what I can do then, but no promises. I have to be subtle here."

"We?" Lee looked confused. He'd completely failed to notice Naomi with the group or else he'd thought her a friend of Konohamaru's.

"Yeah, me and Naomi." He waved her forward. "Naomi, this is Rock Lee. He's engaged to Sakura. Lee, this is Naomi Uzumaki, my cousin."

Lee shook her hand energetically. "A cousin of Naruto's. Of course, how could I not have noticed? It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello. Nice to meet you, too. I've met your fiancé. She's beautiful," she told him sincerely.

"Yes, she is very beautiful. She is the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha," he rhapsodized.

"Yes, she is," Naomi agreed again looking helplessly at Naruto. She didn't know Sakura well enough to add anything more. "I hope you'll be very happy."

"I am very happy," he beamed at her then turned to Naruto. "I did not realize that you had a cousin, Naruto."

"Yeah, well, neither did I until yesterday. Naomi's only been here a few days. Konohamaru and I were showing her around the village."

He beamed at Naomi. "Did you enjoy your tour?"

"Very much. Konoha is a great city."

"There are larger cities. As a hidden village we can not grow too large or we won't remain hidden. Do you plan a long stay in Konoha, Miss Naomi?"

She looked hesitantly at Naruto. "I think so. I don't have any place else to go."

"Of course, you will," he said stoutly. "If the Hokage can't put you up for long, I'll—I'll buy a house. I've got some savings. We can live together."

"Really?" Her eyes widened in happy surprise. "I'd like that."

"No, stay with the Hokage," Konohamaru insisted. "I like having you next door or at least close by. Naruto wouldn't be able to afford a house in that neighborhood yet. He's still a chûnin like me. We don't get the big bucks until we're jônin."

"You're wrong about that, Konohamaru. I was promoted to jônin yesterday." It was Naruto's turn to be smug about something.

"Is that really true?" he demanded.

"It is true, Konohamaru. I heard it from the Hokage this morning when I reported to the ninja complex. Naruto, Hinata Hyuga and Choji Akimichi were promoted on Shikamaru Nara's recommendation. Their last mission was very successful," Lee answered for Naruto.

"No foolin'. Hey, congratulations, Naruto. I guess I'll have to work harder to catch up."

"Thanks, Konohamaru. Don't rush on my account. I don't need the competition. I still plan to be Hokage before you."

"As long as I get my chance, go right ahead, old man."

"You can count on it. Well, we'd better get over to our lunch date. We can't be late or someone will be mad. I'll talk to you later, Lee."

"Yes, thank you, Naruto. I go off duty when you begin yours this evening. If you can give me some news from your lunch today then I will be most grateful."

"Yeah, well, we'll see."

"Bye, Naomi, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye Konohamaru."

They waved goodbye. Naruto led the way to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar for their lunch appointment with Sakura. The short trip was made longer by Naomi's incessant chatter about Konohamaru. She was obviously smitten.

"Your friend is very nice," she said as they walked out of sight of the front gate.

"Lee? Yeah, he is," he answered deliberately misunderstanding her.

"No, Konohamaru—I mean—you know what I mean, Cousin Naruto."

"That brat? I guess so. I can't say we're exactly friends, but I've always gotten along well with kids."

"He's hardly a kid. He's a chûnin," she defended indignantly.

"He's the same age you are. I think you're a kid, too."

"He's really only 14? He seems so much more mature."

"Well, he isn't—and he's got a girlfriend already so don't get any ideas."

"He does?" she asked in obvious disappointment.

"That's right. Her name is Moegi. She's his team mate. I've always seen them together since they were much younger kids."

"He didn't act like he had a girlfriend," she said suspiciously.

He shrugged. "What can I say? If things have changed, nobody told me." It wasn't technically a lie. Moegi could be Konohamaru's girlfriend. Of course, she could be Udon's girlfriend instead. He really wasn't sure about the true nature of their relationships. Konohamaru seemed to be the leader. Moegi seemed to be full of herself. Udon seemed to be the unlikeliest ninja he'd ever known including himself. That certainly seemed to be a set up for boyfriend, girlfriend and best friend who liked girlfriend—very like what he'd been a part of himself when Team Kakashi had consisted of Sasuke, Sakura and himself. At least, that was how he preferred to remember it unlike the reality of boy, girl who liked boy, other boy who liked girl.

"Well, I still think he's nice whether he has a girlfriend or not. It's hard to believe that he's Aunt Yukari's grandson. She never spoke of a husband or children. She must have missed them something awful. I wonder why she stayed with me after my parents died. Or why she didn't bring me to Konoha herself. It's so strange."

"Yeah, it's too bad she didn't leave a letter or something so we'd know what happened. You're sort of a mystery, you know."

"I am?"

"That's right. A mystery that may have no known solution since all the major parties involved have died."

"Is that bad?"

"Don't worry about it. Granny Tsunade's looking into it. If anyone can find out what's going on she can." Whether that was a promise or a threat only his would-be cousin would know for sure.

"Okay. I'll trust in Lady Tsunade."

They arrived at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. Sakura hadn't arrived yet which was good. He didn't want to start off their lunch with her in a bad mood just because she thought they were late. He might be able to get some positive responses for Lee if Sakura remained in a good mood. Then he'd have Lee off his back, and he could concentrate on his own romance.

Naruto grabbed three seats at the end of the bar. He seated Naomi by the wall with himself on the outside, and Sakura in the middle when she arrived. He ordered bowls of ramen for himself and Naomi.

"I've never had ramen before. What is it?" she asked curiously.

"You've never had ramen? It's the greatest food in the world. I eat it all the time. The specialty here is pork ramen. It contains ramen noodles, of course, shōyu broth, pork, nori, kamaboko, shitake and green onions," he told her knowledgeably.

"Naruto, I thought you didn't even notice what was in the ramen besides noodles you usually wolf it down so quickly," Teuchi, owner of the ramen bar said as he sat a full bowl down before his most faithful customer.

"Of course, I noticed. I've tried to duplicate your recipe at home, but I've never been able to get it quite right. I think there must be some secret ingredient I don't recognize."

Teuchi winked as he set a bowl down for Naomi. "Maybe, there is. If you could make this at home why would you ever come back to my restaurant? The only person I'll ever reveal my secret to is Ayame. She's my daughter," he added for Naomi's benefit. "I'm glad you're bringing new business to my place, Naruto. Is this young lady a relative of yours?"

Why was that the first thing anybody ever said? Did they really look that much alike? "This is my cousin, Naomi Uzumaki."

"Welcome Naomi Uzumaki. I'm Teuchi. If you're anything like your cousin, I hope to see you here often."

"Thank you, Mr. Teuchi." She scooped up a spoonful of broth and noodles, and hesitated as she watched Naruto shovel ramen into his mouth as if he were starving.

"Go ahead," Teuchi encouraged. "Tell me what you think."

She put the spoon in her mouth, chewed and swallowed. "It's very good," she said politely, and continued to eat. After a few more bites of different ingredients, she realized that it really was very good. By the time she finished, Naruto was starting his third bowl, and Sakura was plopping down between them.

"A bowl of ramen, please," she said. "I see you've gotten a good head start on me, Naruto."

"You didn't expect me to just sit here and wait for you, did you?"

"Hardly. That would be too polite for you. Are you enjoying yourself, Naomi?"

"Yes, thank you. Cousin Naruto and his friend, Konohamaru, showed me around Konoha this morning."

"The testosterone tour I see," she said with a laugh. "If you ever want the female perspective just ask me, and I'll show you a totally different Konoha."

"I'd like that. Oh, I met your fiancé earlier."

"You met, Lee? Where was that?"

"We dropped Konohamaru off at the front gate. He was assigned guard duty with Lee," Naruto explained.

She frowned. "Lee told me nothing about that. It must have been a last minute switch. I thought it was Neji's turn at the front gate today. I wonder what happened."

"Neji probably thought he was too good to pull front gate duty with a mere 14-year-old chûnin," Naruto said snidely. He usually got along with everyone, but sometimes Neji's superior attitude rubbed him the wrong way. Now that Hinata was officially his girlfriend, he had some long term grudges against Neji for his past treatment of Hinata. The guy had some awesome ninja skills, but his people skills could use some work. He didn't know how Lee could stand him for any length of time. For that matter he didn't know how Guy or Tenten managed to stand him either. In Lee's case, he knew him to be fairly good-natured. He seemed to get along with everyone.

"Don't be that way, Naruto. Neji has contributed quite credibly to several of our missions in the past. His attitude is no different from that of someone else we once called a friend," she scolded.

He knew she was referring to Sasuke Uchiha. Maybe every ninja class had an aloof, superior member. They were difficult to get along with because unfortunately they were almost always as good as they thought they were. He wondered who his own counterpart in other ninja classes were—or was he a uniquely unpredictable, hyperactive. knuckleheaded ninja like Kakashi sensei liked to describe him? He wouldn't mind having a uniqueness that had nothing to do with being a jinchûriki even if it was slightly unflattering. "Yeah, well, some people wear it better than others. How does Lee put up with him as a team mate?"

"Lee admires Neji, and always has. They're almost polar opposites. Lee's enthusiastic, energetic and endearing. He's exceptionally self-motivated. He'd put his life on the line to save a fellow shinobi or anyone who needed saving for that matter. He's done incredible things with only taijutsu," she said in a loving voice.

"That certainly sounds nothing like Neji."

"Neji has his good points, but he's also extremely unemotional, detached, and arrogant. If it weren't for his prodigious talent and kekkei genkai, he'd be completely insufferable." Her voice was no longer loving.

"Wow, Sakura, your character descriptions were right on target. I don't know if I want to hear what you think of me," he said with admiration.

She gave him a wicked smile. "I'll save that description for sometime when you really annoy me. Seriously, Naruto, I do think you've come a long way since we were first genin together. You've matured quite nicely. Your powers have continually increased until I'm amazed at your abilities. You have a lot in common with Lee on the energy, enthusiasm and hero front so I can see why you'd get along better with him."

Naruto was almost blushing at her praise. It was the first time she'd ever said something that nice about him to his face. Love had certainly mellowed the Sakura he used to know. "You know, I almost started wearing a green outfit like Lee's," he confessed with a grin.

She burst out laughing. "No way! What happened?"

"I thought it was so cool when Guy sensei gave me one. He told me that he liked kids with guts, and the green outfit had made Lee strong hinting it could do as much for me. If not for Pervy Sage I might be wearing one today. I don't know what happened to the thing. Pervy Sage probably tossed it in the bushes. Anyway, I don't think green is my color."

As she ate her ramen Sakura would burst into little laughs at the thought of Naruto in a green figure forming outfit. Guy and Lee with their obviously muscular built could pull it off, but Naruto would have looked ridiculous.

Naruto gave her a few minutes to eat while he wondered when Sakura would bring up whatever she wanted to discuss. He was hoping it had something to do with Lee's concerns. He wouldn't be able to bring up the subject on his own. She had to be the one to broach it first. But he still didn't know what he was going to say.

How was he to support Lee without getting Sakura mad? Maybe he should wait to weigh in on Lee's side, and just let Sakura vent her side of things. He could pretend to think about it then report to Lee who could then feed him arguments for the next time he talked to Sakura. Of course, that could drag this go between thing out way too long. Alternatively, if he just came out and told her he supported Lee, she'd just get mad. How mad was the question. Would Sakura punch him out with his young, innocent cousin watching? With this tact, he could simply tell Lee she was mad at him, so he wouldn't be able to talk to her about it anymore. That should end his part in this whole thing. Which way was the smartest and which the most cowardly?

Sakura finished her ramen, and declined seconds. She looked around at the people waiting for seats, and decided to talk elsewhere. "There are too many people here. Let's go for a walk. We can talk more freely outside."

They walked slowly down the street until it became less bustling turned, and walked towards the river. Naomi trailed behind realizing that maybe Sakura didn't want to talk with a stranger listening. Naruto looked back at her with a smile and a shrug. He really wanted to get this over with. He couldn't stand the suspense. What was taking Sakura so long to come out with it?

Finally, when there was no about but the three of them, he stopped to lean against the railing on the boardwalk beside the river, and said, "So what's this all about, Sakura?"

She put her hands behind her back, and stared out across the water. "Doesn't Sakura Rock sound like a weird name?"

"Unh?"

"Don't you think it would be better if I kept my maiden name when Lee and I get married?"

"Unh?"

"Sakura Haruno sounds much better than Sakura Rock, don't you think?"

"Is that what you wanted to talk with me about?" He just barely managed to keep the disgust out of his voice. This wasn't at all what he thought she'd talk about. Maybe she hadn't taken Lee seriously at all when he said he didn't want her on missions anymore. Maybe that wasn't even on her mind. Now how was he going to bring that up so he could give Lee some kind of answer?

"You're a guy. I wanted your opinion. Do you think Lee will be upset if I tell him I want to stay Sakura Haruno after we marry? Would you want your wife to take your name?"

He thought about it a minute. What did it matter? As far as he knew his parents had never married. He had his mother's name. No one seemed to care about that. Would he care if his wife carried his name? If she didn't, did the children automatically get her name or what? Could they choose? He certainly didn't want any children of his named Hyuga. He started to turn red at the sudden awareness of the tenor of his thoughts. He wasn't ready to think about that yet. Hinata hadn't been his girlfriend even 24 hours. They had to get used to that before they moved anywhere close to marriage and children.

He put his hands in his pocket, and shrugged. "I don't know. I never thought about it. What if he did get upset? What would you do?"

She leaned against the railing herself not looking at Naruto until she said his name. "I don't know. If it was really important to him, I suppose I'd change my name. Do you think it would be really important to him, Naruto?"

He didn't think it would really matter to Lee, but he wasn't prepared to set her mind at rest when he knew there were things that really did matter to him so he withheld a direct answer. "What if something else were more important to him? What if you compromised on a few things like your last name?"

"What do you mean, Naruto? Have you been talking to Lee?" she asked sharply.

"I'm just saying—there are a lot of things to consider when two shinobi marry. Taking someone's name may be the least important thing." He took his hands out of his pockets, and turned around against the railing moving away from her. "You need to talk to Lee about it. Listen to his concerns. Listen to his wants. Listen to his needs before you make any decisions."

She frowned. "I listen to Lee! I always listen to Lee! What are you talking about, Naruto? You have talked to Lee, haven't you? What did he say?"

He took another turn away from her as if he were playing with the railing. Surreptitiously, he needed to get out of reach of her powerful punch. Despite Lee's assurances to the contrary, Sakura had never pulled any punches with him. "Do you really listen to him, Sakura? Do you really take his concerns seriously? I don't say he's right or you're right. You just have to listen to each other, and come up with a solution you both can live with."

"Naruto!"

He took another turn away from her. "I'm not saying anymore. You two have to talk to each other, not to me. You think you can just twist him around your little finger and everything will be alright, but that won't always work. He's in love with you. He wants to please you. That doesn't mean he's happy with everything you decide. If you're in love with him, shouldn't his happiness count for something?"

"Naruto! What did he tell you?" she demanded in a hard voice.

He took another playful turn away from her. She hadn't moved so she must not have noticed that he was a few meters away from her now. Maybe he _could_ sometimes be subtle. "Nope. That's all I'm going to say." He pushed off from the railing, and started to back away a little more as he saw her getting angry. Her eyes were flashing, her hands were balling into fists, and her mouth had become a thin, tight line bisecting her face.

"Naruto!"

"Come on, Naomi. Let's get out of here," he grabbed Naomi's hand as he turned to run. Luckily she'd been walking along with him, not Sakura. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Sakura standing stiffly staring after him—and thankfully not following or pounding the boardwalk to stop him.

Okay, he'd decided his smartest option was the cowardly one, too. He'd made her mad. He knew he was going to make her mad. He knew what would happen when he made her mad, and he just didn't want to be on the receiving end of Sakura's powerful punch.

So he didn't solve anybody's problems today. He didn't know what he'd tell Lee, but he did give Sakura something to think about. Most importantly—he'd managed to get away unscathed. That in itself was a monumental achievement. He was rather pleased with his day's accomplishments.


	10. Guard duty

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XX. Guard duty

"For those of you who hadn't heard—a wounded man named Hoshi Ishii was found in the park last night. He had two small puncture wounds in his neck that we still haven't completely analyzed yet. He was missing a great deal of blood none of which was found in the surrounding area. He was rushed to the hospital, and given over a liter of blood in transfusion. If he'd been a smaller man or a woman he would have died. As it was, he revived a few hours ago. Unfortunately, he remembered nothing of the attack. He was apparently cutting through the park on his way home as he did every evening after work. He's a carpenter working at the Northeast end of the village." Tsunade paused, and looked over at her guards for that night's duty.

There were four jônin: Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, Hinata Hyuga and Naruto Uzumaki. There were four genin: Kiyoshi Yoshida, Botan Kondo, Akira Ochi, and Etsu Koga. They were all twelve, and recently graduated to the rank of genin. Their jônin sensei was out on the same mission as all the others. It was the duty of the four young jônin assigned with them to impart some wisdom and training while on patrol. She'd informed them of that extra duty before the younger ones had arrived. They wouldn't be able to do much by way of training, but anything would be a help should the village suffer an emergency situation while awaiting the return of the more experienced jônin.

"Shikamaru will be in charge of the entire team, but you will patrol in pairs. I don't want any of the inexperienced genin together. Two should man the front gate while the rest of you patrol the streets. I want you to be observant and careful. Until we know the nature of the attack on Hoshi Ishii, I want you to keep a sharp eye out for any anomaly. Report anything that seems suspicious. Investigate carefully. Call for backup if need be. You've all been supplied with wireless radios. Wear them around your necks so your voice will be picked up more easily. You're on the same frequency so any message sent will be transmitted to all radio receivers. I'll have one with me, and someone in the medical unit will have one. Be specific about the help you need. Use the first names of the jônin team pair to communicate between groups. State your jônin name then the jônin name of the group you wish to contact. For example: Shikamaru to Naruto or Hinata to Hokage. Use Hokage to contact me or Medic for someone in the medical unit. These radios are not toys. You may test them once, but otherwise they are not to be used for frivolous conversation. They are for emergency or informational use only. Is that understood?"

They all nodded solemnly.

"Good. You are to begin and end your shifts at the front gate. Your shift is from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. Take turns at the gate. If you need a food, drink, or bathroom break inform the gate and take no longer than ten minutes. Don't patrol in a pattern. Be quiet and pay attention. Genin follow the instructions of your assigned jônin completely. If you have questions wait until your front gate duty to ask. Is that understood?"

They all nodded solemnly again. She waited for Naruto to make some smartass comment, but he was behaving very well this evening. She could have praised him for his exemplary behavior, but she'd discovered over the years that acknowledging bad behavior—even its absence—seemed to reinforced the behavior. Some kinds of behavior cried out for any attention so ignoring it was the best way to terminate it—if one had the patience.

"Excellent. Off you go. Your shift begins in ten minutes."

On their way to the front gate Shikamaru and Choji took the lead with the genin behind them while Naruto walked beside Hinata at the tail end of the group.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she returned just as softly.

"I guess it wouldn't e proper for one shinobi to kiss another hello," he suggested.

"Naruto! Don't you dare!" she hissed blushing furiously, and looking intently at the group ahead to see if they'd overheard anything. The genin were too busy whispering among themselves to pay attention to what was going on behind them.

He shook his head sadly. "I didn't think so. I guess I'll just have to wait for a more acceptable occasion. How 'bout a date tomorrow night?"

"Oh, yes," she agreed enthusiastically. She would happily receive and return such a hello on a more personal occasion.

"You'll let me take you someplace, right? Not just a walk in the park? That didn't turn out so well if you remember."

"Whatever you want, Naruto—if you allow me to cook dinner for you before we go out." She so wanted to cook for him—take care of him. He needed someone to look after him, and she was eagerly ready to take on the job as soon as it was offered. In the meantime, she wanted to impress him with her homemaker skills. She'd never cooked for anyone but herself before except in camping situations. She could only hope she compared favorably to the the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"You bet! I'd love a home cooked meal. Remember the gyūniku shichū you made for us on your mission to bring me home?"

"Yes, I remember, but I didn't make that meal by myself. You gathered most of the ingredients. I just heated them together," she reminded him. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but that mission was the first time she'd been alone with Naruto on a mission—or any time. It was the first time she hadn't fainted as soon as he spoke to her. It was the first time he'd noticed her as a girl, and not just a fellow shinobi. It was the first time he'd paid exclusive attention to her. It was the first time he'd kissed her even if it was pretend. That mission had marked the beginning of the wonderful change in their relationship that made her happier than she'd every been in her life.

"You knew what to cook, when, and for how long. I would have just thrown everything in the pot, and set it to boil. It was the best thing I'd ever eaten besides ramen. I think you're a great cook," he told her sincerely. There may have been other circumstances that colored his memory of that meal, but he knew he'd find anything Hinata made for him delicious just because she made it for him.

"Thank you. I hope you still think so after tomorrow night." She allowed a little doubt to creep into her voice, but his positive response reassured her.

"You bet I will. Hey, you know where I'd like to go tomorrow night after dinner?"

She shook her head smiling. She didn't care where they went as long as she was with Naruto. They could just sit and look at the stars again if he wanted to. She didn't want him to spend a lot of money on her—plus there were some lovely advantages to being alone together in a quiet, dark place. She was blushing again just thinking about it.

"I'd like to see a performance of that acting troop I told you about. I don't know how much longer they'll be in town. I heard it's a really good show—not just acting. There's a really good singer, acrobats, and a magician with the show. I've heard about it from a lot of people. I would have gone to see it sooner, but I wanted to see it with you. It should be really cool."

"It sounds wonderful. I look forward to it."

"Great," he said happily. He almost reached for her hand, but remembered where they were. In less than 24 hours, he and Hinata would be on another date. He hoped this one went better than the last—not that the last date wasn't pretty terrific—except for finding that wounded man. He could do without that kind of excitement on a date.

He should be tired after all the walking he'd done that day with Naomi, but he felt energized just seeing Hinata again. Too bad they'd see so little of each other while on duty. He was just grateful the Fifth hadn't rearranged the shifts so he'd be with Sakura and Hinata would be with Kiba and Shino. Those were their usual teams, but he'd see less of Hinata if their duties weren't synchronized. If he didn't know better, he'd think the Fifth was doing him a favor. But she didn't even know what was going on—not really. She acted like she knew something, but that was just teasing him as usual. He'd kept his feelings pretty well hidden. She couldn't possibly have a real clue about him and Hinata—could she?

When they reached the front gate, he realized he'd forgotten all about Lee waiting to be relieved—and waiting for something else. He tried to avoid the guy by lurking behind the others, but Lee wasn't having it. He jumped right in front of Naruto effectively halting his advance with the rest of his team.

"Naruto—" Lee began eagerly.

"I'm sorry, Lee," Naruto interrupted quickly. "I've got nothing to tell you. She's mad at me. I don't when I'll be able to talk to her again."

"You didn't ask her—"

Naruto interrupted again. The less he had to explain about his encounter with Sakura the better. "I really didn't get to say much of anything, but she suspects big time that you and I talked. I didn't confirm or deny it. You'll have to decide what to tell her if she asks." And he was certain she would ask. Of everything he'd said or not said, he'd seemed maddest about that idea.

Lee's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I see. Maybe you can try again soon?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know, Lee. She was really mad. Why don't we let her chill for awhile? The way things are going here, we aren't going any place else real soon. So there's no dangerous mission to worry about yet."

"Perhaps you are right. I must recover my patience. I will wait for things to calm down. Our mission is here in the village. I must be satisfied with that," he said with determination. He raised his head, and squared his shoulders. "I thank you for your help, Naruto. I know you did your best. I will see you later." He raised his hand in farewell, and walked off looking once again like the cheerful, determined Lee he usually was.

Naruto turned to join his team when Konohamaru caught his attention by leaping in front of him filling up the space Lee had just vacated.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?" He looked ahead at the others before turning his attention to Konohamaru. Shikamaru was interviewing the genin. They hadn't seemed to notice his absence yet.

"Did Naomi like the tour this morning?" he asked eagerly.

"Why wouldn't she? I was there."

"You know what I mean, old man. You're just her cousin. What did she think of me?"

"She thought you were an obnoxious brat. What else could she think?"

"Naruto!"

He held up his hands to ward Konohamaru off. He certainly had a talent for pissing people off today—or maybe he shouldn't be so specific. He had that particular talent on any number of days. "Okay, okay. She thought you were nice. But I have to warn you, I told her about Moegi."

"What about Moegi?"

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"

"She is not! We're just friends. We all agreed that romance would just get in the way of our goals. Moegi wants to be just like the Fifth, and I want to be Hokage. We've got too much work to do to waste time that way. Team mates should just remain team mates," he said indignantly.

"That's very mature of you guys, Konohamaru," he said in surprise. The kid was continually amaing him. He was a lot more mature than Naruto had been at his age. Maybe losing his grandfather and guardian had been a more serious blow than he'd thought. He couldn't imagine the effects of losing the one stable person in one's life at such a young age since he'd never had a stable person in his life in his memory. It gave him a fuller appreciation and understanding of his ex-team mate, Sasuke's single-minded determination to exterminate the person who'd brutally taken away his entire family leaving him alone. He'd been only a little younger than Konohamaru when he'd suffered his tragic loss. It must have changed him a great deal.

He grinned. "Yeah, well, we can always change our minds later. We've got plenty of time."

"Sure you do. 14's too young to think about stuff like that. You should just leave it alone. Let Naomi think you're already taken. It won't hurt her, and she won't get too attached to you."

"No way! That's different. Naomi's not my team mate. I want her to know I'm available."

He frowned. "Well, I don't. Stop flirting with my cousin, Konohamaru. I don't want her to get hurt."

"I wouldn't hurt her!" he said indignantly.

"See that you don't by not encouraging her in the first place. She's too young."

"We're the same age?"

"Yeah, well, you're too young, too. Anyway, I think she has ambitions to be a ninja. She'll need to concentrate all her time and energy to catch up. Don't mess things up for her."

"Hey, Naruto, get over here!" Choji yelled over at him. "You're on duty now!"

"I've gotta go, Konohamaru. We'll talk about this another time."

"Not 'till I've talked to Naomi. We're gonna be friends whether you like it or not," he said backing quickly away then turning to run off toward home.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto yelled after him, but it was too late. The brat had the last word, and there was nothing he could do about it until tomorrow. Damn him!

"You sure are popular all of a sudden, Naruto," Choji said as he finally joined them.

"Not by choice," he mumbled.

"Okay, enough of that. We've got work to do. Choji, I want you and Kiyoshi to take the first shift at the front gate. The other pairs will be Hinata and Akira, Naruto and Botan, me and Etsu." He'd stuck himself with a girl again. He knew it was inevitable whether friend or foe, he'd always be stuck with a girl so he assigned himself the girl before fate did it for him. "We'll divide the village into three—from here right, middle and left." He pointed to the areas he'd vaguely described.

"I want to patrol the park area," Naruto volunteered. He wanted to have another look at that area at night. Maybe whatever had attacked Hoshi Ishii would return to the scene of the crime.

"Are you sure? That's where the wounded man was found, remember?"

"I know. I found him."

"What?"

"You did?"

Hinata said nothing. She hoped Naruto wasn't about to bring everyone's attention to her. She might be gaining self-confidence, but she wasn't ready to be the center of anyone's attention except Naruto.

"Yeah, I was sitting on a park bench looking up at the stars when I heard him moan. If it hadn't been so quiet, I might not have heard him at all."

"What were you doing in the park by yourself?" Choji asked suspiciously.

"Who said I was by myself? I was on a date." Okay discretion might be the better part of valor, but he really wanted everyone to know that he had a girlfriend.

"A date? You? Who's the unlucky girl?" Despite the questions all knowledgeable eyes drew bead on Hinata.

"None of your business." He'd said enough. He'd embarrass Hinata if he said anymore just now. He glanced apologetically at her. He wouldn't tell them anything else he tried to tell her with his eyes.

"Hinata, I think you're blushing," Choji teased.

Shikamaru took pity on her. "Okay, we're getting off topic. If the Fifth knew we'd spent the first 15 minutes of guard duty standing around gossiping, she'd have our heads. Naruto, you and Botan take the right side. Hinata, you and Akira take the left side. Etsu and I will take the middle. It won't matter if we overlap a little. Make a tour of all the streets, main, side and alleys. Don't neglect any dark corner or crevice. Look inside any abandoned buildings. We'll change patrol areas when we get back to the front gate. I think it should take from one to two hours for each of us to make a thorough patrol of our respective areas. Any questions? No? Then let's head out."

Naruto exchanged a smile, and nod with Hinata before she headed off in the opposite direction of his tour area.

As they headed out, Naruto's eyes narrowed as he studied the kid he'd been paired up with. Botan Kondo was of stocky built with light brown hair and eyes. He had a bounce to his walk, a cheeky grin, and dancing, mischievous eyes. Since he couldn't do much to match them up physically—was Shikamaru trying to match personalities? He didn't know if he wanted a kid too much like him. He always seemed to attract kids too much like him—case in point, Konohamaru. Someone too much like him probably wouldn't listen to him, would challenge his every utterance, and would need to be rescued somewhere along the line from his impulsive behavior. He gave a silent sigh of resignation, and led the way along the right (or east) side of the village.

"So you really found the wounded guy in the park?" It didn't take more than a minute for their quiet tour of duty to be interrupted by his inquisitive companion.

"That's what I said."

"And he was missing over a liter of blood?"

"So the Fifth claimed."

"What did he look like?" he asked eagerly.

"That's a ghoulish question."

He shrugged. "I just wondered what it looks like when you're missing a lot of blood. Do you shrink? Do you turn white? What happens?"

Naruto frowned at him. He'd never wondered stuff like that. Maybe this kid was interested in being a medical ninja. "Haven't you been in any fights yet? Haven't you been hurt or hurt someone else enough to see a lot of blood loss?"

"Not really. Are you asking what kind of missions I've been on?"

"Well, that might answer the question."

"I've been on three missions. The first mission we had to find a runaway kid. He had a fight with his parents, and decided to go live with his grandfather on a farm outside the village. He was only five. He fell and sprained his ankle so he was pretty easy to find. It only took us a few hours to search the village then start searching outside."

"No fighting involved, I guess?"

"Nope. The second and third missions were more of the same—finding something lost and returning it. The third mission involved a thief, but he wouldn't even put up a fight. He dropped to the ground and put his hands over his head as soon as we caught him," he said in disgust.

"Tough break. Haven't you even practiced fought and gotten badly hurt?"

"Not really. I was accidentally hit by a kunai blade once in practice. That was Akira, but he wasn't throwing it very hard. It didn't hurt too much."

Akira? Wasn't that the genin with Hinata? He certainly hoped the kid had better aim now. He didn't want her to get hurt accidentally by her own partner.

This kid was even lamer than he'd been as a new genin. That was the kind of kiddie stuff his team had been given when they'd first become genin. How were they supposed to learn how to be ninja if they weren't given better missions? If he hadn't demanded a higher level mission from the Third, he'd have been handling lame assignments for years. He sure wouldn't have been able to handle the chûnin exams, Haku and Sabuza, Gaara and the Shukaku, or any of the many people and creatures he'd had to fight during his genin years.

Naruto finally answered the kid's original question. "It was pretty dark back in the woods, so I didn't get a good look at him. The guy was pale, and looked asleep. He was really lucky that I found him or he'd have died of hypothermia."

"Wow. You saved his life."

"I've saved a lot of people's lives. You saved a life when you found that five year old runaway. That's what we ninja do. Now we'd better be quiet so we can hear someone or something creeping up on us. You can ask more questions when we've got our turn at the front gate. Okay?"

"Okay."

The kid managed to keep fairly quiet for the next hour as they walked the streets of Konoha checking out anything that looked suspicious. Usually all they found was a rat or a cat hidden in the shadows. Sometimes they met someone walking home who'd greet them and pass on. Nobody they passed looked especially suspicious, dangerous or questionable.

When they reached the park, he asked the kid to be especially quiet, and on his guard as they scoped out the area. He wasn't as quiet as Naruto, but he was quiet enough.

The woods themselves were as quiet as they'd been when he and Hinata had been there the night before. The night creatures could probably sense their presence by scent if not by sound. When humans were about, they were practically invisible. The only creatures that didn't seem to care who was about were insects. He could faintly hear the buzz of a mosquito flying past his ear, and the monotonous call of a few crickets. The weather hadn't turned cold enough to send them into hibernation.

Naruto saw nothing; he heard nothing; he smelled nothing out of the ordinary, but he felt that eerie sensation of being watched. He knew this was probably his imagination, but the hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention all during the seemingly long walk through the park. When they were free of the woods, despite no evidence of any large presence but theirs, he felt relieved. However, he continued to have that watched feeling until they had turned onto a completely different street. What could have been watching him that he couldn't see besides his overactive imagination?

* * *

Hinata was given the park area for her second patrol shift.

Naruto had told her of the eerie watched feeling he'd had while patrolling the park, so she was prepared to feel the same, but she didn't. She had absolutely no sense of being watched. She used her Byakugan the entire time, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Either Naruto was imaging things as he'd jokingly suggested, or there was no longer any disturbing presence in the park. She tended to trust Naruto's instincts, so her guess was that the menace had left the area by her shift.

Nor did she sense or see anything else of menace or suspicion on any of her shifts. She and the equally quiet Akira had a completely silent and tranquil time on patrol. By the time they had their last shift, and front gate duty, she felt comfortable enough with her genin to ask him questions about his training. Once she'd gotten him talking, he'd lost his shyness completely with her.

Akira Ochi was a tall, gangling boy with black hair, and black eyes. His family was a long time ninja family. He was the oldest boy with two younger brothers in ninja school. His family had no gekkai kenkai, but they had a special family jutsu. It was a weapon possession jutsu. When a weapon was thrown, he could change its course and turn it back on the thrower. Right now he could only possess one weapon at a time, but he claimed his father could possess as many as twenty at one time.

"You need to learn chakra control," Hinata told him. Shikamaru had suggested that they all begin with this basic element of training since the Fifth had given them the duty of training their genin. It was how they all had learned to channel and manipulate their chakra. The beauty of this training was that the genin could practice this on their own without direct supervision.

"I know. That's what my sensei said, but we hardly got started on any training before sensei was called away. How do I do it?"

"My sensei taught us to control chakra first through our feet. We would climb trees just with our feet by focusing chakra on the soles of our feet. You must apply the chakra evenly and consistently. It takes a great deal of practice. Why don't you try climbing the wall beside the gate for now? I don't imagine there will be many travelers arriving or leaving before we end our shift. You shouldn't be disturbed."

So while Akira climbed and fell, and climbed and fell, Hinata watched the gate, and thought about Naruto.

He'd been so cute bragging to Shikamaru and Choji about their date. If she hadn't been so shy of attention, she would have hugged him right then to leave no room for doubt about who his date had been with.

She wanted to pinch herself every time she thought about last night to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

She was Naruto's girlfriend.

Naruto was her boyfriend.

She could talk to him without fainting. She could kiss him without fainting. She was still blushing, but she didn't even feel like swooning. Even when he gave her one of those hot, steamy kisses, she hadn't wanted to faint. She'd only wanted to be closer to him, and seek more kisses.

She'd come a long way even from when she was 15, and still fainted when he so much as looked at her. How had this happened? The more intimate they become, the braver she felt.

He liked her. Naruto really liked her. Would he come to love her one day, too? Oh, she dearly hoped so, because she loved him so much, she didn't know what she'd do if he couldn't love her back. She wouldn't even think about that now. It just made her think about what Kiba has said about being his rebound girl—and she really didn't want to think about that.

As Hinata kept one eye on the gate, one eye on Akira, and her mind occupied with daydreams about Naruto, she failed to notice that someone watched her from behind. Of the entire team guarding and patrolling that night, it was someone only she'd be able to see—if only she'd been paying attention, and using her Byakugan.


	11. Just another day in Konoha

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XI. Just another day in Konoha

Tsunade sat at her desk in her huge office in the ninja complex, but she wasn't exactly working. She lounged back in her chair drinking saki, and looking out the window. She knew that she was taking advantage of Shizune's absence to indulge in one of her vices—but damn it!—she missed Shizune. She missed them all actually. She felt like the only grown-up at a children's party. All of her experienced jônin had been gone less than two weeks. When could she possibly expect any of them back? Tomorrow would not be soon enough.

Unfortunately, she had much more on her mind besides the absent jônin. There was the strange attack in the park for one thing.

There had been nothing unusual in the report from last night's patrol except Naruto's sense of uneasiness that was easily explained away as an active imagination. It was still a mystery who or what had attacked the man, Hoshi Ishii. She'd spent the day searching the resources of the archives, and had found no mention of an animal or insect capable of making a bite consisting of two deep punctures approximately 5 cm. apart which drained over a liter of blood while leaving only the minutest traces behind. If only there had been more evidence at the scene—footprints, blood, or eye witness testimony—something that would offer a clue to the identity of the attacker or an avenue of investigation. But there was nothing except the wound on Hoshi Ishii's neck, and the strange absence of a great deal of blood.

She'd done all she could do medically to investigate the mystery. It could only be pursued if further evidence were found. Regrettably, that would necessitate another attack with some pursuable evidence. She would rather believe that this was an isolated incident, and there would be no further attacks than face the alternative. She dreaded the possibility of a serial attacker, a panicked village, and a completely inadequate cadre of mostly inexperienced ninja to handle the investigation. That circumstance was too horrifying to contemplate—so she moved her thoughts on.

Her next concern in order of importance was Naruto's would be cousin, Naomi Uzumaki.

The child was nearly a dead ringer for a Naruto of six years ago, but that made no sense. She looked like a Namikaze not an Uzumaki, but how could she be related to Minato Namikaze? He'd been the only Namikaze living in the village at the time of Naruto's birth. Had there been a Namikaze family living outside the village that Yukari Sarutobi knew about? Why weren't they asked to take care of Naruto when his parents died?

Yukari, herself, was an enigmatic figure in her memory. Tsunade remembered her as a cold, unemotional woman. How had she come to be caring for a child unrelated to her while deserting her own family?

More than that—why would Yukari leave her home and family four years before the child, Naomi's birth? Was it another Namikaze she'd accompanied to that distant village in the North? Who were Naomi's parents? Why hadn't Yukari returned to Konoha in the last 14 years especially when her husband and son had died? Why didn't even Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu the only one's old enough to have known the circumstances surrounding the events of that time not known any of this? What mystery had Yukari been hiding or protecting?

Yukari Sarutobi had been a medical kunoichi just as Tsuande was, but she had been more interested in research than the altruistic aspects of medicine. It had been hinted that Orochimaru had learned nearly as much from her as he had his official sensei, the Third. It had further been hinted that her research did not always meet the approval of the Third or the Fourth. But very little of her research had been stored in the archives. She must have destroyed or taken it all with her. What could she have been working on when she left? Had it something to do with Naruto? If only Tsunade had been in the village at the time, but she'd already left Konoha dispirited and disillusioned by the deaths of too many loved ones. She knew nothing of those times except rumors, and what she'd learned from the archives since her return.

Blood tests would only tell her so much about Naomi's origins. She very much feared this, too, would remain an unsolved mystery. However, as soon as the village was fully staffed again, she intended to send someone to Naomi's home village of Kuzu to look around, and check out the house where Yukari and Naomi had lived for 14 years. Maybe Yukari had left a clue there to her purpose in the care of Naomi. If not, they may never know the truth.

She pushed aside those two mind numbing puzzles to consider her third concern. It wasn't exactly a concern, but something she needed to approve and then propose to her advisors. She hadn't yet made up her mind about it. Again she read over the letter she'd received yesterday.

_Greetings, Lady Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Village of Leaf_

_I wish to express my gratitude for the help your ninja provided in recovering the valuable artifact belonging to my village, and family. Its market value was considerable, but its intrinsic value was immeasurable. I wish to commend those ninja from your village involved in its recovery: Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Hinata Hyuga._

_It has been a great honor, and pleasure to be allied to such a remarkable Hidden Village. In fact, it would be my great desire to cement relations even more closely. To enable and ensure future cooperation and alliance, I would like to propose setting up an embassy in the Hidden Village of Leaf. I welcome a similar embassy in the Hidden Village of Sand to consolidate the close ties of our two villages._

_Please contact me if you are interested in such an exchange. I have an ambassador already under consideration to be dispatched to your village to enter into negotiations on my behalf should this proposal be of interest to you._

_I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Gaara, Kazekage, the Hidden Village of Sand_

Was this a sincere gesture or did it have something to do with the new Hidden Village they were investigating? Their current alliance with the Sand Village was over six years old, but their history had been fraught with war and distrust. She'd like to think that they could be solid allies, but she couldn't commit the village so easily. She certainly didn't want the Sand Village to know how weak Konoha was at present, or that they could be involved in a war in the near future. For now she'd stall on the request for a few weeks or even months. Once her jônin began returning with their intelligence reports, she'd know better what to make of this request.

In the meantime—she poured herself another cup of saki.

* * *

He followed behind her at a discreet distance watching as she slowly wended her way through the market stalls.

What was he doing?

Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

Why did he think he had to fix things?

She was his team mate. She was his friend. He'd always cared for her in that capacity. But recently he'd been thinking about her in romantic terms—very recently—only since she'd been sent on a mission alone with Naruto a few months ago. Suddenly, his comfort zone had been invaded. Hinata was behaving totally unlike her usual self. She was coming out of her self-imposed shyness. She was enjoying some attention. He didn't like it. He didn't like change.

Why should he feel such intense competition with Naruto? They'd always gotten along. He'd learned to respect Naruto's skill the hard way by being beaten by him. He hadn't held a grudge about that. He'd never felt threatened until recently. But why should he? He was secure in his place in life as a member of a long established Konoha family while Naruto had always been alone, shunned by others, practically friendless for a long time. He should feel sorry for Naruto not envious. Why were things changing? What had happened to change everything?

Since they were 12 after the attack on Konoha by Orochimaru, and the disappearance of Sasuke, Naruto had been growing in confidence and abilities. Somehow he'd gotten in good with the movers and shakers of Konoha. He'd been taught by Jiraiya, one of the legendary sanin; he'd been liked by the Third; he was the pet of the Fifth, another sanin; he was a friend of the Sand Village Kazekage and family; and for some reason no one had ever explained he'd been a prime target of the Atasuki as well as Orochimaru. What qualities, talents or abilities did Naruto possess that made him so interesting and desirable?

He hated himself for upsetting Hinata, but he felt he had no choice. She'd fallen under Naruto's mysterious spell. He didn't know what the consequences of that would be, but he was afraid that Naruto would hurt her. Naruto had never noticed her especially before, why should he do so now? What was Naruto's sudden interest? Why would the plain, shy Hinata suddenly attract him? Was it her family connections? Was it her family wealth? Was he trying to improve his position in the village? There had to be an angle for him in this somewhere. He'd never thought of Naruto as an opportunist, but people continually surprised him—especially Naruto. There were too many unknowns about him. He had to protect Hinata from her natural naivety. He was the only one who seemed to see the danger.

* * *

Hinata walked through the stalls of the market carrying a basket over her arm searching for choice ingredients to make dinner for Naruto. She'd visited the main house earlier that day to look through all the recipes her mother and grandmother before her had collected over the years. She wanted this first real meal she was making for Naruto to be perfect. She knew he wasn't a picky eater, but she still wanted to make the best meal possible for him especially this one. First impressions were the most important.

She intended to make every thing from scratch. She wouldn't buy any ready made products in the market. She wouldn't economize on day old products either. All the ingredients had to be completely fresh. Only the best quality was good enough for Naruto.

She enjoyed the market. She liked the bustle of people competing for the best products at the best prices. She was not a good haggler, but it was fun to listen to others barter down prices. She usually paid whatever the asking price, because she was too shy to dicker. However, her sweet smile and gentle nature often found a soft spot in the hearts of many sellers who noticed and valued her custom. Bargains therefore came her way despite her reserve.

She was placing her last purchase in her basket when she heard someone say her name. She stiffened as she recognized the voice. She did not expect good things from this encounter. She turned to find Kiba standing at her elbow.

"You're buying a lot today. Trying to impress Naruto with your cooking skills?" he asked sarcastically as he peered inquisitively into her basket pawing through its contents.

She pulled her basket out of his hands. "Hello, Kiba," she said quietly, and began to walk towards home.

"Are you?" he persisted as he stalked beside her.

"Where's Akamaru?" she asked avoiding his question. She still didn't feel comfortable saying _none of your business_, but that was exactly the way she felt.

He ignored her question, too. "He's no good for you. He'll hurt you. He won't appreciate you. You're wasting all your specialness on an ignoramus."

"Please stop, Kiba," she told him in a tight voice. Why couldn't he understand?

"He's been hanging around with a cute, little blonde. All day yesterday, and I've seen them together today. They seem really close," he continued his bombardment even though he watched the happiness drain from her face at every word.

"That would be his cousin. He's showing her around the village," she explained. She shouldn't engage him in any conversation. He just said one hurtful thing after another. She should just tell him to shut up, and walk away, but she just wasn't capable of hurting him no matter what he did to her.

"What cousin? When did he get a cousin? I never heard about a cousin." He scowled.

"He does have one. She's just come to the village."

"How come? Have you met her? What's she like?" he asked suspiciously.

"I haven't met her yet," she admitted in a small voice. He was bound to make something unpleasant of that information.

"Ah ah! She's probably not his cousin at all. It's just a story to keep you from asking questions. You're so gullible, Hinata."

"Kiba, the Hokage knows all about it. She's the one who introduced them."

"Unh?" he dithered for a moment digesting that unwelcome piece of information. "Yeah, well, yesterday, he had lunch with Sakura."

"They're team mates. Why shouldn't they have lunch?"

"You know how he felt about Sakura. Are you sure you can trust him? If I were you I wouldn't want the guy I was interested in seeing his old girlfriend."

"It was never like that between Naruto and Sakura."

"Are you sure?"

Was she? Mentally she shook off the thought. She would not allow Kiba to make her doubt Naruto. Not again. "Yes," she said firmly.

"I don't want to see you hurt, Hinata." He tried another tact since he hadn't been successful yet. She seemed more confident today than yesterday. He wasn't sure how to get under her guard to stir her up.

She turned on him, and said in a low accusing voice, "You're the one hurting me not Naruto. Naruto's only been sweet, and wonderful. I love him, Kiba. I've always loved him. I won't let you change my feelings with your hateful insinuations."

"Hinata! I'm not trying to—"

"Hello, Hinata. Hello, Kiba."

They both turned to the voice hailing them. Kiba's face registered annoyance, while Hinata's reflected distress.

Sakura came up beside them. She looked from one to the other. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something? Should I go away?"

"No, Kiba was just leaving," Hinata said quickly, and pointedly.

Kiba mumbled something under his breath then put his hands in his pockets, and stalked off. He didn't know what more he could say. He needed more ammunition. He'd have to keep a watch on Naruto in between guard duty. Naruto would slip up eventually. He needed to be there when it happened.

"Kiba seems to be in a snit. Lover's quarrel?" Sakura suggested lightly.

"No. There's no love lost there," Hinata said in a tight voice.

"Sounds like Kiba's in the doghouse," she said with a laugh.

Hinata smiled at her little joke. "I think he prefers it there. How are you, Sakura? What can I do for you?"

"What makes you think I want something? I happened to see you, and thought I'd come over to say hello."

"You never have before," Hinata said simply.

She flushed. "Okay, you've got me there. I've been a little self-involved since I started dating Lee. I never realized being in love could be so engrossing. I can hardly think about anything else. I was never this bad with my first crush."

"Lee is a very nice man," Hinata told her sincerely. She'd never had much to do with Lee, but Naruto liked him. That was good enough for her.

"Yes, he is. Very nice. Say, Hinata, I was wondering—has Naruto's said anything to you about me?"

Hinata's heartbeat quickened. What did this mean? Did Kiba have something right after all? "What sort of things?"

"I don't really know. I know you had the same guard duty detail, so I wondered if you'd talked. Has he said anything?"

She shook her head. "No, he's said nothing in particular."

"What about Lee? Has he said anything about Lee?"

She shook her head again. "No, I'm sorry. He hasn't talked about either of you."

"Damn," she said and kicked a stone hard with her foot sending it 100 meters down the street.

"What's wrong? What were you hoping Naruto had said?"

"Actually, what I really wanted to know was what Lee said to Naruto. They talked about something—about me—Naruto wouldn't tell me what it was. I need to know before I talk to Lee. That's all."

"Are you and Lee having problems?"

"Yes—No—Maybe. I don't know. Something's up with Lee. I don't know what it is. I just thought if I knew what it was, I'd be better prepared the next time we talked."

"Naruto hinted at nothing when you talked to him?" Hinata felt relieved to know that Lee and Sakura were talking to Naruto about their relationship. That proved that Kiba was just trying to stir things up again for nothing. Naruto wasn't interested in Sakura or visa versa.

"Oh, he just told me to listen to Lee—as if I never listened to him. I'm engaged to him, of course, I listen to him. He's very intelligent. I listen to him all the time."

"I'm sure you do."

"Lee's said some things in the past that I know he can't mean. He's just acting all protective since we became engaged. He can't mean anything he said."

"What things?"

"Oh, like me quitting going on missions. He has some silly idea about me staying in the village and serving as a medic instead of going on missions. My skills are best suited in a mission setting. He must understand that."

"Maybe it isn't silly to him. Maybe he worries about you."

"What about him? Doesn't he think I worry when he's on a mission? Would it be fair for me to be the only one sitting at home worrying?"

"No, I don't suppose it would."

"That's right. Would you agree to quit being a ninja if Kiba asked you to?"

"Kiba and I aren't romantically involved so it wouldn't come up," she said firmly. She would hate for a rumor like that to get started. How would she explain it to Naruto?

"Well, if you were involved with him or if you were involved with another ninja. Would you quit and stay at home?"

"I don't know. If I were to marry and have children, I might consider it."

"That's different, but while you're still young and active, would you?"

"I don't know. I've worked very hard to get where I am."

"So have I. I have a lot to contribute as a ninja. I can't quit yet. I'm still young. I wouldn't even want to think about children until I'm at least 25."

"Maybe there's another way around this problem that would satisfy both you and Lee," Hinata said thoughtfully.

"If there is I haven't thought of it," she said glumly.

"What if you ask the Hokage to put you and Lee on the same team? Nobody would have to be at home worrying if you were together," she suggested. She found working with Naruto made her worries more bearable. Perhaps the Hokage would consider that solution for Sakura and Lee.

"Hinata!" Sakura squealed. "That's a brilliant idea! I wonder if the Hokage would go for it. She might not like engaged or married couples working so closely together. It could cause friction between the couple and the rest of the team."

"Has it ever been done? Maybe you and Lee could be the test case for such a measure."

"I'll ask her straight away before I even talk to Lee. You're a lifesaver with this suggestion, Hinata." She walked excitedly beside Hinata. She'd never given her much thought before. She was certainly much smarter than she appeared. Maybe she could help with a few other problems. "Hinata? Let me put another issue to you. What do you think of the name Sakura Rock?"

* * *

Hello, Himiko Masa

Do you mind--I hope it's okay if I write to you. I wouldn't want to be the cause of any problems for you.

How are you? How's your family? I know it hasn't been long since we were in Mountain Ridge, but how are things going? Have the young men come back to the village yet? Have any new strangers shown up at your door? You haven't gotten yourself engaged, have you?

I got another mission as soon as I got home. It's a very important one. I'm protecting my own village this time. I'll tell you about it when it's over. I wouldn't want this letter intercepted and valuable information stolen. It can happen, you know.

I'm thinking of visiting Mountain Ridge next summer. I thought the hot springs were great. Would it be alright if I paid you a visit? I remember the onigiri you made. It was terrific. Even better than my mom can make, but don't ever tell her that. Do you make barbeque dishes? Barbeque's my favorite.

Please write back. I'd really enjoy hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Choji Akimichi


	12. Predate miscellanea

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XII. Pre-date miscellanea

"I want to tell someone about my background."

Tsunade placed her elbows on her desk, and rested her chin on her entwined fingers. She studied the innocent-faced, sunny-headed, blue-eyed ninja standing before her. Looking at him—who would ever imagine that a great evil with the potential of decimating the entire village resided within his lithe, sinewy form?

"How much of your background?" she asked severely. She felt she already knew the answers to the questions she would ask, but she hated to make assumptions. She wasn't prepared to face the consequences of wrong conclusions. Besides, it might be fun to see him squirm under her teasing interrogation.

"All of it," Naruto stated firmly. He'd decided that before he and Hinata moved forward in their relationship, he wanted her to understand everything about him. If she had objections or concerns about anything in his past or present, he wanted them dealt with now before he was in too deep—if it wasn't already too late.

"Is this someone you trust?" She eyed him speculatively.

"With my life," he told her confidently.

"I see." She was pleased at his conviction. This was a relationship she intended to foster in her own oblique way.

She sat back in her chair, and watched him for a few moments through narrowed eyes to see if she could shake his stance with her extended silence and scrutiny. But he met her eyes levelly with his own, and withstood her stern inspection without any signs of agitation or nervousness or even impatience.

"It might be dangerous for others to know your complete background, Naruto," she said finally breaking her silence.

"How could all that past stuff hurt anyone?" he asked puzzled.

"Dangerous for you, Naruto. It was for your own protection that the secret was kept from almost everyone all these years."

"It hasn't hurt me for Kakashi to know about me. Or Jiraiya. Or Sakura," he insisted.

"I said almost everyone. Those few who presently know the truth can be trusted to treat you as you need to be treated."

"How is that?"

"Normally, of course. There are others who might try to take advantage of who you are. Those who would know you for the son of the Fourth might revere you for who your father is not for yourself. The expectations for you to be like him would be oppressive. You know how Konohamaru has hated the attention he's garnered from being the Third's grandson? I remember my own struggles because of my grandfather. It's almost as distasteful as being ignored."

"Nothing's as bad as being ignored," he said grimly. "Except maybe being shunned. That's worse." He'd had too many years of both to prefer either over anything else he could imagine.

"You'd be surprised at how detrimental negative attention can be. Alternatively, those who would know you for a jinchūriki might fear, hate, and definitely shun you. The attack of the nine-tailed is still a tale of horror passed down through generations. You know how Gaara was treated in the Sand Village as a child? You remember how the Atatsuki tried to take your demon which would have killed you? The source of your extraordinary powers would be envied and dreaded if they were universally known."

"You don't have to tell me. I know all that," he said impatiently. Who knew better than he did that by saving the village his father had doomed him to be the lifelong jailor to a powerful, evil creature? His father sacrificed himself and his son for a village that would undoubtedly only hate and fear him if they knew the full details of the past. He'd already endured the whispers behind his back, the avoidance, and the prejudice of the villagers from the little they did know about his origins. "She—I mean, the person I want to tell won't spread it around. It'll be okay. She—I mean, that person won't tell anyone else."

"Can you really be certain of that? Maybe I should talk to her—I mean, that person," she suggested in an arch voice.

"I think I can decide who to trust," he insisted stubbornly. He really hated when she teased him. She could be really mean sometimes.

"Are you sure? I can list a number of examples where your judgment has been faulty in the past." He was getting really good at withstanding her teasing, but she almost had him squirming this time.

"Nope. Not necessary." He shook his head vehemently. "I've got good instincts when I listen to 'em."

"Very well. If you insist. I'll trust your judgment this time—but, I insist that you don't tell your cousin anything about it."

"No, of course not. I never considered that. I won't say anything to her unless you tell me it's okay. I know not to trust her yet. I'm still watching her. She hasn't said or done anything weird. She acts just like any 14 year old girl. Too much like one, if you ask me," he grumbled. He hadn't seen either Naomi or Konohamaru yet today so he wasn't sure how strict he had to be with the two of them. He was never that flirtatious at 14. Kids today just grew up too fast.

"Girls that age are a handful. I don't envy you, Naruto."

"Hey, you're the one who gave me this assignment, Granny Tsunade. You could assign her to someone else—Sakura, maybe. They seemed to get along really well."

"Naruto! I wish you would address me with more respect," she told him in a long suffering tone of voice. "If you wish to receive respect you need to learn to give it as well. Behavior tolerated in a child is not as acceptable in an adult. I much prefer to be addressed as Hokage or Lady Tsunade."

"Yeah, sure, Gran—Hokage," he mumbled. He was definitely guilty of this offense.

"Good. Now as to Naomi—she claims to be your cousin so she's your responsibility, Naruto."

"That doesn't give me much leisure time between guard and patrol duties," he protested.

"You've got two free evenings, and a full day between your various duties. That should be enough time for your purposes I should think. If you need more time for personal chores, I'm sure Naomi would be glad to help. She's proven to be an adequately helpful child, although filing is not one of her strengths. I shouldn't think that ability would be necessary in helping you."

He couldn't think of anything much a new cousin could help him with. He sent his laundry out. He ate most of his meals out. Cleaning his small room took less than 30 minutes. Chores weren't the primary use he had for his free time, and Naomi would be in the way of his dating Hinata. "How about I teach her some ninjutsu techniques? She said she already knows all about chakra. Her aunt taught her that much, but she wouldn't teach her any techniques. I can teach her kawarimi no jutsu or bunshin no jutsu. Those were always my most troublesome jutsus."

"Certainly. She's old enough to have mastered those jutsus if she were in the academy. See what she can do. I'd be interested to discover if she has any talent for ninjutsu. You can give me a report on your evaluation of her abilities."

"Not a report! I hate reports!"

"A verbal report. Even you should be able to handle that."

"Yeah, I can do that." His tone changed from complaint to enthusiasm. "This is great. That'll give us something to do during the day now that I've shown her around the village." He'd been puzzled about how to entertain a 14 year old girl. Now he could fill the time training her, and practicing his teaching skills. Between Naomi and Botan, he should be able to learn something useful about teaching that would be helpful in his jônin career.

"I've been told that you had an escort on your tour yesterday."

"Unh? Oh, you mean, Konohamaru. I didn't know he lived right next door to you. You could have warned me," he told her accusingly.

"Yes, I should have warned you about that, but I had no idea he'd become quite the little charmer. I've already had an earful from Naomi on the subject. I'd appreciate it if you kept them apart for now—at least until I know more about her."

He clapped his hands on his head in frustration. "Hey, I'm doing the best I can. That should be your job to keep Konohamaru busy. I've got no control over the kid."

"How familiar that sounds." She rested her cheek in her hand, and eyed him quizzically.

"Yeah, well, it's still true."

She smiled pleasantly. "As you may remember 14 year olds are quite resourceful, however I'll see what I can do. With both of us working towards the same goal, we've got a better chance of succeeding. You'll find Naomi in the old records room. It's the most innocuous place for her during the day when neither you nor I can watch her."

"Great. thanks" He put his hands in his pockets, and turned to leave, but stopped. "Say—ah—Gran—I mean Hokage, can I ask you something?"

She eyed him with distrust. "Possibly."

"Okay," he started to pace as he explained. "Say you bought a present for someone when you were gone for awhile, but when you got back that person didn't mean the same to you, and you wanted to give your present to someone else. Would the person you wanted to give the present to be mad if she—I mean that person found out that the present you bought was originally for someone else?"

She reflected on this convoluted explanation for a minute. She could torture him by asking him to repeat it again—and maybe again—or she could play this one straight since it seemed rather important to him. Oh, what the hell! She'd treat him seriously for a change.

"Does the original person know that you bought her—I mean, that person a present?"

"No."

"Does anyone else know about it who might reveal the secret?"

"Yeah. Someone with a really big mouth." He thought darkly of Jiraiya. It was at his suggestion that he'd bought the gift for Sakura in the first place. He might remember. But Hinata didn't really know him, he didn't really know her, plus he was rarely in the village. The only people he ever seemed to interact with when he was here was Granny Tsunade, Kakashi or himself. That secret was probably safe.

"Well, if you think the person you plan to give it to might find out, and be upset, I'd confess up front about your change of feelings, and why you want this new person to have the gift. It's always best to be honest from the beginning with women, Naruto. They feel more hurt when they find things out after the fact."

He scowled. "Women? I never said anything about women."

"That's right, you didn't. Did I make an unwarranted assumption? I'm sorry, Naruto. Your sexual preferences are no concern of mine," she said with exaggerated innocence.

"Unh? What? Who said anything about—about that? I'm just talking about a friend," he said in embarrassment at the subject. What was she talking about? Why was she always trying to yank his chain?

"There I go making assumptions again. Sorry, Naruto. Perhaps you'd better go find your cousin before I make more embarrassing guesses about this present, and this friend of yours," she suggested with a sweetly evil smile.

"Yeah, right. Bye," he said hurriedly, and quickly escaped her office. His interviews with her never went the way he thought they should. She knew too well how to push his buttons. He wondered if she did that with everyone or was he just lucky that way. He'd really like to see how Shikamaru managed. Maybe he'd ask for some pointers sometime. He'd really love to have the upper hand just once. That would make his day or even year.

* * *

Naruto opened the door to the old records room, and found his cousin exactly as he'd found her the first time he'd seen her. This time she was folding a paper elephant, but nothing else was different.

"Thank goodness! Naruto! Finally! I'm _soooo_ bored!" she exclaimed, throwing down her origami project while jumping up from the table. "Where have you been? What took you so long?" She danced around him, grabbing his hand, and dragging him to the door.

"Whoa! Hang on a minute. What's your hurry?"

"I want to get out of here before Lady Tsunade comes down, and suggests some more work in this nasty, dusty, awful room. Hurry! You don't want her to put you to work, too, do you?"

"No way! Let's go!" He took a firmer grip on her hand, jerked open the door then ran her out of the room, and out of the building.

Once they were fully clear of the ninja complex, he stopped, bent over, resting his hands on his knees, and caught his breath. He looked over at her, and they laughed at each other, and the joy of escape.

"We did it! We got away!" she exclaimed gleefully.

"Well, she did steer me in your direction," he confessed. "Something tells me she must have known what the outcome would be."

She kicked at the dirt on the side of the road. "She always puts me in that awful, dusty room when she brings me to work with her. I hate it! Why isn't there something else for me to do?" she complained.

_She must be feeling comfortable with me_, he thought. She wasn't all _everything's so wonderful_ today. She was starting to whine and complain like a normal kid.

"We're shorthanded right now, and everyone's busy. There's not much she can give you to do that doesn't require supervision. You're just stuck with it until most of the jônin start returning," he explained.

She pouted. "Where are all the jônin? Why aren't they here?"

"They're on special assignment. They should start returning in a few weeks. Once Iruka sensei returns, you can go to the ninja academy if Gran—the Fifth says you can. That'll keep you plenty busy."

"I can't wait. I really want to be a ninja. Konohamaru can do so many cool things. I'm so far behind. I'll never catch up!"

"Sure you will. If your aunt trained you as well as you claim, it won't take you long to get through the schoolroom stuff. In fact, the Fifth says I can start teaching you some jutsus now." For the first time since he'd reached his majority, he felt like a real adult as he explained things to her from his lofty adult perspective.

"Honestly? Can I?"

"That's right. In fact, why don't we go over to the school grounds to train? That should be out of the way of any interruption. At first you'll have mostly memorization and practice of hand signs in preparation for ninjutsu. Everything I'll teach you can be practiced when I'm not around."

"I can't wait! Hurry! Let's go!" she urged him forward, jumping excitedly beside him.

Once they entered the deserted school grounds, he sat her down, and demonstrated the twelve hand signs: snake, rat, sheep, monkey, ox, horse, dragon, dog, boar, rooster, rabbit and tiger. He named each one while slowly signing so she could closely observe each hand movement in detail. After doing that a few times, he had her practice each sign correcting her hand placement when necessary. Then he had her practice the signs one at a time, and when she seemed to catch on, he had her practice them one after the other.

They spent the afternoon in this way until Naomi's hands began to hurt. He'd forgotten how intensive the signs could be when first learning, but she never complained about the difficulty of this task. She had a determined, concentrated look on her face, and seemed to enjoy it more than she did filing anyway.

Finally, Naruto called a halt to her practice.

"That was very good for your first time. You should alternate icing then soaking your hands in warm water once you get home. Rest them as completely as possible tonight. Don't practice again until tomorrow. You're gonna be sore for awhile, but all jutsus require hand signs so you have to get used to it. You need to take proper care of your hands until you build up the muscles in them," he instructed.

"I'm so much slower than you. When will I get faster?"

"It'll take time. Speed'll be important when you use jutsus in combat. Right now just learn to make the signs correctly, and without hesitation. You've got to know them so well you don't need to think about it."

"I will. I want to be the best ninja I can be," she said with determination.

"Just keep practicing, and you will." He looked up at the sky noticing the angle of the sun. It was getting late in the afternoon. "Come on. It's time to get you home."

"Awww! So soon?" She pouted.

"It's almost dinner time. I've got to get home to change. I'm going out tonight," he told her vaguely fully prepared to be quizzed, but determined to keep Hinata a secret for now.

However, Naomi was too concentrated on her own concern to be curious about his plans. "When will I see you tomorrow? I'm afraid I'm going to forget some of the hand signs before we get together again. You were so late today."

"I'm sure the Fifth told you I had patrol and guard duty last night. I didn't get home until after dawn this morning. You're lucky I don't need a lot of sleep."

"So what about tomorrow?"

"Well, I've got front gate guard duty at dawn until noon tomorrow. Ask the Fifth if it's okay for you to come to the gate. I can take you for lunch afterwards, and we'll continue your lessons."

"Okay. I'll ask her tonight."

She skipped along beside him as he walked her to the Fifth's house. She still seemed to possess a lot of energy, but he noticed that she kept her hands fairly loose. He hoped she followed his instructions, and rested. He didn't want her to sprain her wrists with too much unusual practice. But if she were anything like him, she'd train until she dropped. He wondered if that was an Uzumaki or a Namikaze trait. If she didn't flout sensible advice would that prove she wasn't related to him at all? He wondered….

* * *

Although Hinata had asked him to bring whatever he needed mending along with him for dinner, he didn't feel quite comfortable showing up at her door with a basketful of torn clothes—and he did have a very full basket of stuff that needed mending. A second date was too soon for that, but maybe with the fourth date he'd be able to do it. And wouldn't it be great to be able to get things mended instead of just buying new stuff all the time. That would really save him a lot of money. But he had to find something he could do for her in return. He wouldn't take advantage of her generosity. He'd never be that type of guy. In the meantime, he did feel comfortable bringing flowers for their date so he stopped by the Yamanaka Flower Shop on his way to her place. Unfortunately, Ino was working in the shop that day.

Ino was also blonde-haired, and blue-eyed but she looked nothing like him or Naomi. Her coloring was totally different from the Namikaze's. She still wore her hair in a long pony-tail similar to what she'd done as a kid. Her outfit was a little more revealing than when she was young, but still a bluish purple. He'd never really noticed Ino while he'd had his crush on Sakura. She was pretty enough, he supposed, but she was more assertive and confident than Sakura when they were kids—almost obnoxious. He knew Shikamaru and Choji thought she was bossy, but he didn't really know her very well. He must have lumped her in the same group as Hinata, he thought guiltily. There had been Sakura, and then there had been every other kunoichi. He really hadn't been a very observant youth.

"Naruto, flowers, unh? For your girlfriend? Don't tell me Sakura's already two timing Lee?" she asked coyly as he came up to the counter to pay for his generous, and colorful bouquet.

"What's Sakura got to do with my flowers?" He scowled at her.

"Don't you have a thing for her?"

"No, I don't! The flowers aren't for Sakura." Already he wasn't feeling very eager to get to know Ino any better than he did at this minute.

"Too bad. That would have been a really juicy tidbit to spread around," she said more cheerfully than disappointed as she handed him his change.

"Sasuke's been gone over six years. Why can't you two be friends again?" he asked disapprovingly.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Obviously our estrangement goes deeper than the affections of one incredibly good-looking, intriguingly aloof boy. How did you know about that?"

He rolled his eyes. "Your rivalry with Sakura became obvious during the chûnin exams. Besides—what girl didn't moon over Sasuke? He didn't care about any one of you. He didn't care about anyone. He had an all exclusive agenda." Did he sound bitter? Okay, maybe he did. He thought Sasuke had been his friend, but that hadn't been true. Sasuke had been alone, and had wanted to stay that way. Naruto was the exact opposite. He wanted connections—as many as possible. He still mourned the friendship he thought they'd had, but he knew now it hadn't really existed except in his own mind.

Ino looked sad, then mad. "Duh! I know that already, Naruto. I'd be a real idiot if I still expected him to come back, and sweep me off my feet. I've moved on—and I guess you have too, Naruto. So who are the flowers for?"

"Is being nosy part of your job description?"

"No, it's a perk. So who are the flowers for?" she persisted.

Before he could come up with a good enough answer that revealed nothing, Ino suddenly narrowed her eyes, and peered intently out the front window behind Naruto.

He looked over his shoulder, "What is it? What are you looking at?"

"I thought I saw Kiba watching us from the side of that building across the street."

Naruto looked again, but all he saw was an old man walking by. "Kiba? Why would Kiba be watching us? I don't see him. Akamaru's so big now you couldn't miss him even if you didn't notice Kiba."

"He doesn't always bring Akamaru into the village when he isn't on a mission. He gets in the way, and knocks things over. He scares tourists. There have been complaints from some of the villagers," Ino told him knowledgably. "He was told to keep Akamaru's visits to business only."

"He is pretty big. Kiba must not be too happy about that."

"He's not—so I've heard."

"That's too bad. Remember when he used to ride on Kiba's head?"

Ino laughed. "Yeah. It was so cute. Now Kiba can ride on Akamaru. That's cute, too. Say Naruto—what do you know about Kiba?"

"What do I know? What do you mean?" he asked startled.

She leaned on the counter towards him, and whispered conspiratorially, "You're friends, right? Does he have a girlfriend?"

Naruto almost groaned aloud. What was this all of a sudden? Since when had he become the relationship expert? His own was too new for many people to be aware of it yet—so why ask him this stuff?

"I don't know. He's never told me anything."

"I haven't seen him around with anyone but Hinata. There's nothing romantic there, is there?"

Naruto almost laughed at that question, but he didn't want nosy Ino to spread rumors about his personal business. "I don't think so. They're just team mates. Why don't you ask him yourself? Aren't you on his team right now?"

"I can't do that!" she exclaimed vehemently. "What if he doesn't like me? That would be so embarrassing. I'd never be able to face him again," she paused then gave him a speculative look that he didn't like at all. "Say, Naruto, could you—"

"Unh unh. Forget about it. Gotta go." He grabbed his flowers, and high-tailed it out of there. Making sudden escapes from the women of his acquaintance was becoming a major survival skill.

No way was he going to get involved in anybody else's romance. He had enough on his hands keeping Sakura and Lee together, keeping Naomi and Konohamaru apart, not to mention his own fledgling romance. Ino and Kiba were definitely on their own if they wanted a relationship. He was no longer available for romantic advice or intervention for anyone except himself.

With that internal promise, he smiled down at the bouquet in his hands, and continued on his way to Hinata's house.


	13. A night at the theatre

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XIII. A night at the theatre

Happily, she watched him eat the meal she'd so lovingly prepared. He ate like a little kid intently concentrating solely on his food without pause until he'd eaten a good portion of it. Then, he stopped took a breath, and smiled at her.

She smiled back, and wished she could pat his head, stroke his hair or smooth down his unruly blonde curls. She had so much love to give, but when would she feel free to show it without feeling shy or embarrassed? When could she completely demonstrate her love for him without reservation?

After he'd arrived at her door with flowers, she'd naturally gone into the arms held out to her. She'd been enfolded in a close embrace, and instinctively lifted her face for his kiss. She'd wrapped her own arms around his waist. They'd stood in her doorway like that for several long, delightful minutes. After his mouth released hers, she rested her head against his shoulder for a minute, before reluctantly disengaging herself claiming a need to check on dinner, and put her flowers in water. She'd ducked her head, blushing, not meeting his eyes. She didn't want to appear like a brazen hussy by clinging so readily to him, but truly she'd only wanted to stay right where she was happiest—in Naruto's arms.

He'd followed her into the kitchen, offered to help, wouldn't take no for an answer so she gave him whatever small tasks she could think of until she was able to serve dinner. He was always there near her, but never in the way. He just seemed very interested in her dinner preparations as if he'd never watched anyone cook for him before. Very soon they'd sat down, and she'd watched for his reaction to her meal. She wasn't disappointed.

"What is this Hinata? It's really tasty," he told her after he'd eaten almost an entire bowl full.

"It's yaki soba. Would you like some more?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Try the sunomono while I refill your bowl," she suggested as she took his bowl into the kitchen. She knew her Naruto so she'd made plenty.

"Okay," he told her helping himself to a plate of cucumber salad.

She handed him another full bowl of yaki soba then sat down to finish her own bowl of sunomono. She was a much slower eater than he was, and she didn't eat as much. Once she'd finished her salad, she ate a small portion of the yaki soba.

"Hinata, that was great," Naruto patted his stomach as he finally pushed away from the table. He would have eaten a third bowl, but the salad had taken the edge off his hunger. "Yaki soba is really good. It reminds me of ramen."

She smiled. "I thought you'd like it since you like noodles. Did you like the sunomono?"

"Yeah, that was good, too even though I don't eat salads very often. You're a really fantastic cook, Hinata."

"Thank you. I'm happy you enjoyed everything." She stood up, and began to gather the dirty dishes.

Naruto jumped up. "Let me do that for you."

"No, no, you're my guest."

He shook his head. "Nope. I invited you on this date. You cooked so I'll do the dishes."

"Naruto—"

"You can't stop me so you'd just better show me where to wash everything up," he stubbornly insisted.

Helplessly, she led him to her small kitchen, and showed him the sink, the soap, and a wash rag. "If you're going to wash up then let me mend your jacket."

He raised his elbows, and looked from side to side. "What? I didn't manage to pick an untorn one?"

"It's just the pocket. Right here on the corner. If I mend it now, it won't tear further." She tweaked his left pocket.

"Okay. You win." He took off his jacket, and handed it to her.

While he washed the dishes, she mended his jacket. She examined all the seams carefully, and reinforced a few while she had it in her hands. With his back turned to her, she shamelessly held it up to her face, and breathed in the scent of Naruto lingering amidst the fresh laundry smell. She loved the way he smelled even when he was all sweaty. There was simply nothing about Naruto that she didn't love. She really had it bad.

After he finished washing the dishes, he began to dry them. This time she helped despite his protests putting everything away in its proper place when he handed it to her.

She thought that this was how it would be if they were married—cooking together, eating together, washing dishes together. Or if he never helped her wash up again, she wouldn't care. She just wanted to share her life with Naruto. That was a dream that seemed to be coming closer and closer to a reality every day. She'd never felt so happy in her life.

"I guess we're done," he said looking around, and giving the counter one last swipe before folding the cloth over the edge of the sink.

"Thank you for your help, Naruto. I didn't realize you were so domestic," she gently teased.

"Do you mean I'll make someone a wonderful wife one day?" he asked with a grin.

"Well, cleanliness is an excellent quality for either a husband or wife."

"I don't usually have many dishes to clean at my place. I eat out a lot. You know, I'm usually not the neatest guy in the world, but even I've learned what happens when you leave dirty dishes or food lying around for too long. There are some insect and animal life I'd rather not share my room with again." He gave a fake shudder.

"You've always impressed me with your ability to learn from your mistakes."

"Hinata, you say the nicest things to me even when I don't deserve 'em." He took her hand in his, and swung it between them. "So are you ready for the rest of our date?"

"Yes. Are we going to the theater?"

"You betcha. I've already bought the tickets. I didn't want to risk having it sold out before we got there. That little theater only seats 100. If everything I've heard about this show is true—it's really popular, and has been since they came to town a month ago."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Great. The show starts at 7. We can get started now, and not hurry. It won't matter if we're a little early."

He dropped her hand to put on his jacket while she retrieved hers. When she met him at the door, he put his hands on her shoulders, bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you for fixing my jacket. Thank you for a wonderful dinner. Thank you for going out with me," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, Naruto. It's I who should thank you," she said in a choked voice, hiding her face against his shoulder.

"If you want to fight about it, I'll win." He kissed her ear. "Come on, sweetheart we'd better go."

"Okay," she raised her face to give him a teary smile.

He had to take a minute to dry her eyes, and kiss her again before they could set off.

* * *

He held her hand all the way to the community theater building. They didn't talk very much on the way. Mostly they just smiled at each other with goofy expressions. At least Naruto wondered if he looked goofy. Hinata just looked adorable. He couldn't stop smiling, and his smile broadened every time Hinata blushed or shyly met his eyes. He wanted to kiss her every second. Maybe that thought was obvious enough to cause her to continually blush. Could this be love?

The community theater building had been rented out to the traveling theater troop for the run of their appearance in Konoha which was posted as two months. He'd taken the advice of the ticket seller, and purchased tickets in the middle of the center section. He thought the front row would be the best seats, but the ticket seller had told him they'd be too close to the stage, and wouldn't get the best view of everything. He hoped the guy was right.

They were only twenty minutes early so they took their seats, and watched while the rest of the audience meandered in. Naruto recognized a few faces in the audience, but there were a lot of people he didn't know. Sometimes he had to remind himself that the ninja weren't the whole village. There were shopkeepers, restaurant workers, hotel workers, construction workers, and many others who made up the village of Konoha. There were even tourists. Not every villager's life revolved around the ninja complex though he found that idea hard to believe.

As they waited, they read over the program.

"Look, Hinata, there's a play first. _The doomed lovers._ That doesn't sound like a happy story. At least it's short."

"Naruto! Don't you like drama?"

"I like action—lot's of fighting. I bet there's no fighting in that play."

"What about singers? The second act on the bill is a singer. _Lady Chiyoko Maeda_. Her name is printed in larger type than many of the other acts. I wonder if that means she's famous."

"Everyone I've talked to says she's really good so she's probably well-known. I like singing. Do you sing, Hinata?"

"I'm not really sure. I'm always too shy to sing very loud," she admitted, and quickly changed the subject. "Let's see, after _Lady Chiyoko Maeda_ is another play. You might like this one better, Naruto. _A falling out_. It's described as an action comedy."

"Yeah, that sounds more like me—plus the act after that—a dog act. _The Wonder Dogs._ I wonder if Kiba's seen it yet?"

Hinata didn't want to talk about Kiba. She changed the subject again. "Acrobats are next. _The Super Tanaka Brothers_. That should be interesting."

"I'm really interested in the last act. The magician. _The Amazing Iwao_. I've seen a lot of amazing things in my life. It'll be pretty hard to amaze me. We'll see what he can do."

"Naruto, you sound like you don't want to enjoy the show."

"For the price of these tickets, I better love it," he said darkly.

"You're so silly," she said, and playfully slapped his arm.

He grabbed her hand, and held it. "I better hold on to this. You could do me some damage."

"Naruto," she whispered, and squeezed his hand back.

Before they could do any more talking the house lights blinked in warning that the show was about to start.

_The doomed lovers_ was more interesting than he thought it would be. The acting was good, and it was just long enough to stay interesting. It was about a pair of teenagers in love, but their families were enemies. The girl faked her death by taking a drug that made her seem dead so she could run away with her love, but the boy didn't get word that the death was fake. He stabbed himself to death falling onto of her body. She wakes up, finds him dead, so takes his knife, and kills herself. The parents were sorry for their stand against the young lovers in the end. The deaths were bloody, and agonizing which seemed to appeal to the younger members of the audience. Naruto thought that was the best part, too.

Lady Chiyoko Maeda came on next. She wore an old style costume consisting of three layers of kimonos. The first was purple, the second was green, and the third gold. Her blue black hair was arranged elaborately atop her head with two gold-tasseled hair ornaments. Her makeup was very theatrical consisting of white face paint, red lipstick, and black drawn arched brows giving her a surprised look. As she sang, she used hand gestures, and a fan to act out the songs. Her voice was a clear, bell-like soprano with at least a seven octave range. She sang sad songs, happy songs, and epic songs. Naruto was definitely mesmerized by the beauty of her voice as was rest of the audience must be because the theater was completely silent during her singing until the time for the applause—then it was loud and long. It wasn't surprising that her name was emphasized in the program.

The second play _A falling out_ was a complete change of pace. It was the story of two drunks in a bar who have a stupid argument then pull out swords and start to fight. They performed some miraculous feats stumbling, falling down, and narrowly missing sword thrusts. It was a beautifully choreographed, and funny fight. They finally ended up knocking each other out, and being thrown out of the bar. Naruto laughed heartily along with the rest of the audience. Glancing over at her, he was happy to see that Hinata was enjoying it, too.

It was during the dog act that the tenor of the evening changed.

A pretty girl in a skimpy glittering blue outfit ran onstage from the left. She blew a whistle, and six white dogs ran onstage to circle around her. They each wore a glittering blue cap buckled under their chins with a spray of colorful, glittering, stiff strings bobbing on the top. She whistled and gestured, and the dogs all stopped running and rose up on their hind legs around her. She tossed each of them a treat from a pouch at her waist. The dogs ran in a line in front of her, and stood up on their hind legs to the audience. They were very cute as they performed so the audience clapped each time they did a trick.

Someone backstage tossed the girl a large hoop. She whistled and gestured for the dogs to line up facing the hoop. Just as she brought the whistle to her mouth to begin a new trick, five men in the audience, three rows down and to the right of where Naruto and Hinata sat, stood up en masse. They were all dressed in dark blue robes, and had shaved heads. They looked like monks. The one in front blew on what looked like a wooden whistle. Although his cheeks filled with air, and he expelled it into the whistle no sound emitted from the end. However, the dogs on stage began to run around in disorder barking frantically.

The girl tried using her own whistle, but the dogs didn't respond. They barked frantically every time the man in the audience seemed to blow his whistle. Several men came out from the stage wings, chased down the dogs and carried them off the stage. The girl bowed to the audience, and helpless followed.

Once the barking became faint as if the dogs were being taken outside another man came out of the right stage wing and strode to the front of the stage. The house lights came up just as he reached the edge of the stage. He had long, white hair tied back from his thin, aesthetic face, and wore a brilliant blue jacket and pants. He appeared tall, and commanding. He addressed the men standing up in the audience.

"What do you mean by disrupting our show?" he demanded in a deep, authoritative voice that projected well across the room.

"We are from the Order of the Way of the Horse. We protest the cruel use of animals in your show." A man beside the man with the whistle yelled back. He was not as well trained in voice projection.

"No animals in our care are abused. We use reward not punishment as a training tool."

"I don't believe that. I have heard rumors to the contrary."

"Then you've heard wrong. If you have any concerns with our show your proper course would be to discuss it with me privately not disrupt the show for everyone else."

"Who are you?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Yuu Higa. I am the abbot of our traveling temple. We are dedicated to the humane treatment of all creatures under the sun on this earth. We abhor the use of animals in such materialistic displays."

"Well, Yuu Higa, I am Leiko Iseki, the manager of this troupe. I don't really care what your opinion is if your intention is to disrupt our performance. For the courtesy of the rest of this audience, I must ask you to leave now. If you do not do so I will have my people bodily remove you."

The abbot folded his arms implacably across his chest, and his fellow monks followed suit. "We refuse to leave until you have proven to our satisfaction that you have not abused any animals in your care."

The director gestured to the stage wings, and a half dozen large men, the same ones who'd retrieved the dogs earlier, came out, jumped down into the pit below the stage, and climbed the stairs up to where the monks stood. Fortunately, the protestors were sitting on isle seats so the rest of the audience didn't have to budge. The monks kept their arms folded, and stood firm. The men from the theater troupe finally threw the monks over their shoulders, and carried them out.

Once the disruption had been removed, the director bowed and apologized to the audience. He then bid them enjoy the rest of the show.

Naruto had been ready to jump in to help, but Hinata had stopped him. She asked him to wait to see if there would be any trouble before he became involved. She thought it would be better for the theater group to handle it then for Konoha residents to become involved. Since the evacuation of the monks was carried out bloodlessly, he wasn't disappointed to have stayed out of it.

"Who are those monks? Have you ever heard of them before?" he asked her as they watched their removal.

"No. I didn't realize an order of that nature had come to Konoha. I wonder if Lady Tsunade knows of it."

"She will now. I saw several chûnin in the audience. Someone's bound to tell her."

"I'm glad they didn't fight. Apparently they're a peaceful organization."

"Too bad they had to mess up our evening."

"It isn't messed up. There are still two acts to follow. I've enjoyed everything so far."

The lights began to dim again. The murmuring audience quieted down, and the show began again with _The Super Tanaka Brothers. _They performed tumbling, throwing each other, balancing on large balls, and tight ropes, as well as juggling at the same time as doing their acrobatics. It wasn't really anything a ninja couldn't do, but they did it with dramatic flair, superb coordination, and flashy costumes. It was a good spectacle. Naruto was impressed by their performance.

The last act was _The Amazing Iwao_. Naruto had been looking forward to this act mostly because he didn't think the guy could amaze him. Like he'd told Hinata, he'd seen a lot of amazing things just as she had in their business. It would take a lot to impress them.

The man who came on stage was dressed all in black with a black hood, mask and gloves. Accompanying him was a pretty girl in a skimpy outfit of glittering red and gold with an elaborate headdress to match. She introduced him, and spoke for him, explaining each of his tricks. He performed a number of sudden appearances and disappearances of kerchiefs, flowers, birds, a rabbit, and his assistant with dramatic colored smoke as emphasis. He accepted objects from the audience, seemed to break them then they'd appear intact in his assistant's hands, and sent back to the owning party. He produced fireworks from nothing with brilliant colors and noise. He was tied up by someone in the audience, and untied himself in record time. He was locked in a cage, and escaped almost effortlessly. He levitated his assistant as she lay on the ground to several feet in the air. It was all stuff, Naruto had heard about in magic shows before, but it seemed more interesting when seen live. The guy used elaborate, understandable gestures that barely needed his assistant's explanations. His appearance was enjoyably mysterious and suitably dramatic. The audience was completely spellbound as they watched. Naruto was more impressed with his skills then he'd thought to be. It didn't occur to him until later to wonder if the guy knew genjutsu techniques. He decided it didn't matter. It was more fun not to figure out his secrets.

He'd clapped as long and hard as everyone in the audience when the performance was finished. It had been a great show. And he decided—worth every penny.

* * *

"You want to walk awhile," Naruto asked as they left the theater amidst the rest of the crowd. He tightly held her hand so they wouldn't be separated. They were jostled against each other in the mass exodus, but stayed walking closely together as the crowd dispersed.

"Don't you have to be up early for guard duty in the morning?"

"It's okay. I don't need much sleep."

"Let's walk," she agreed. She didn't want the evening to end. It had been magical.

"Why don't we walk towards the river not the park this time?"

"Okay."

They walked slowly towards the boardwalk near the river before either of them spoke again.

"I'm sorry about what happened tonight, Hinata. I guess my bad luck is showing again. We can't seem to get through a date without something weird happening."

"It wasn't your fault, Naruto. I enjoyed the show very much. That little interruption couldn't change that. We could always go again before they leave so we can see the entire show without interruption," she suggested putting her free hand comfortingly on his arm.

He stopped walking, and turned to look down into her sweet face. "Hinata, do you know how wonderful you are?"

"Me? No, not me. You're the wonderful one, Naruto."

He took both of her hands in his. "Hinata, you make me feel the way no one has ever made me feel before. You make me feel special, and wanted."

"Oh, Naruto, of course, you're wanted. I've told you that."

He shook his head. "That's not true. I've only been tolerated most of my life. Until Iruka sensei nobody liked me. Until you no girl liked me."

"Oh, Naruto, of course I like you. I've always liked you. I'm sure lots of people like you. Kakashi sensei. Sakura. Lady Tsunade. Lord Jiraiya. Shikamaru. Choji. Lord Gaara. Lady Temari. More people like you than like me."

"I don't think that's true. I bet all those people would like you better, and more besides. All the people who think I'm a troublemaker and show-off would like you."

"As long as you like me the others don't matter," she told him bravely.

"Yeah, I like you. A lot. I'm still trying to figure out how much I like you. This is all new to me, Hinata. You'll have a little patience with me, won't you?"

"Yes, Naruto."

"There are a lot of things I want to tell you about myself. The Fifth gave me permission. I don't know how much you already know."

"I know quite a bit about you, Naruto," she confessed. She'd studied him more than she'd ever studied any subject in school. But it wasn't as if there was a book entitled _Naruto Uzumaki_ that she could read every night. Her knowledge had been gathered slowly, a little at a time, and there were many gaps in that knowledge that she'd love to fill.

"Is that right? Do you know that I'm a jinchūriki? That the nine-tailed fox is inside me?"

"Yes. I know that. All of the ninja are age and older know that much."

"Well, I guess that's no surprise to me considering all trouble I had with the Atasuki in the past. Did you know that the Fourth was my father?"

"No—that is I suspected something like that, but I didn't know for sure."

"Yeah, Minato Namikaze was my father. Kushina Uzumaki, a kunoichi from the Land of the Whirlpool was my mother. My father saved Konoha from the nine-tailed fox by sealing it inside me using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal which killed him in the process. If the Atasuki had been able to steal Kyuubi from me, I'd be dead. I'll always be a target for those who wish to possess a demon. I'll always be feared for what's inside me. I'll have that threat over me for the rest of my life. I wanted you to know this, Hinata, before—before—well, before we—you know—before anything else happens between us," he told her earnestly.

She took his hand, and held to her cheek. "Naruto, none of that matters to me. I'm only sorry that you never knew your parents, and that your part in saving the village isn't universally known. I think the villagers should have always been praising and respecting you not avoiding you. You're truly wonderful that you don't hate everyone."

"Naw, I couldn't do that. I was angry for a long time when I was a kid, but when I decided to become a ninja I put all that behind me. I want to be Hokage one day—the best one I can be. That means I have to take care of every person in this village no matter how they feel about me."

She turned her cheek in his palm and kissed it. "Naruto, you are so good," she said in a choked voice.

He put his arms around her holding her tightly against him. "No, I'm not, but I try to be. Don't cry for me, Hinata. Life is pretty good for me right now. You're still my girl, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, I am."

"You're not having second thoughts now that you know all the problems that come with me?"

"No, no, never."

"Then I'm still the luckiest guy in the world."

"Oh, Naruto," she whispered crying in earnest now. She didn't care how much he denied it, she thought him to be the most wonderful man in the world. She was his girl now and forever—no matter what.


	14. The lull before the storm

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XIV. The lull before the storm

For the next few days nothing happened during the guard duty of any ninja to warrant a more intense investigation of the attacked man found in the woods. Naruto might have had that watched feeling again during his next night time patrol, but he never saw anything worth reporting. Just because the hair on the back of his neck seemed to stand up on its own, he felt the back of his head tingle, and the flesh on his arms got bumpy didn't mean anyone was behind him—at least, he'd never caught anyone watching him no matter how quickly he turned around. He had no choice but to put down that eerie feeling to an overactive imagination.

However, other things of interest, curiosity or annoyance did occur during the lull in crime to warrant some mention.

* * *

Over the next few days, Naruto managed to keep Konohamaru and Naomi apart due not to anything he actually did, but to the fact that Konohamaru seemed to be busy most of the time. He thought he might owe that circumstance to the Fifth. If so it was the first time she'd ever listened to him. Usually, she'd just set him an impossible task, and expect him to handle it. He didn't know whether to feel insulted or flattered that she'd chosen to help him this time. Whatever the reason he was grateful not to be in the middle of a doomed teen romance. Seeing it on the stage was bad enough. He'd hate to have to experience it in real life even vicariously.

He continued to teach Naomi the jutsu hand signs. He emphatically told her that she needed to know them better than she knew anything else in her life. She had to be able to make those signs in her sleep or unconscious. She had to be able to make those signs when her life depended on it.

She took his teaching seriously. She uttered no protest, complaint or grumblings, no dirty looks or signs of reluctance at his insistence. She practiced the signs faithfully until she could make them as quick as he could name them. She really seemed to want to learn everything she needed to become a ninja. He felt proud of her persistence—not just as his possible cousin, but as his student.

Of course, he especially could understand that sort of dedication. That's exactly how he'd felt about becoming a ninja. He hadn't worked at anything in his life the way he'd worked at that. He just hoped Naomi had talent enough to equal her determination. If she couldn't cut it, he didn't know what she'd do. He'd never had any other idea for his own future. He couldn't and wouldn't imagine doing anything else. He was just grateful that something had finally sunken in—even a forbidden jutsu to make him a worthy ninja. Of course, at that time he hadn't known about his hidden resources, but he was glad he hadn't known. He thought himself to be a better ninja because he'd had to work at it. Using Kyuubi was just his last resort in a fight. He now had plenty of his own strengths before borrowing on Kyuubi's.

If Naomi was a true Uzumaki, surely she'd have inherited an affinity for ninjutsu? He didn't know what ninjutsu skills of his own could be credited to his mother. He knew Jiraiya had made assumptions based on his Namikaze inheritance. His affinity for the rasengen was most probably from his father. What had he gained from the Uzumaki's? Maybe Naomi's progress would give him a clue.

During this time, he also decided to keep Naomi away from Hinata. Before he introduced the two of them, he wanted to be sure Naomi was who she claimed to be. He knew Hinata's kind heart. If Naomi was a fake she could worm her way easily into Hinata's affections just by playing on her connection to him. He wouldn't let that happen. He'd wait for the Fifth to tell him everything was okay before he introduced her to the most important person in his life. He wanted Naomi to be the real deal, but he wouldn't pin his future happiness on it.

This proved no problem when he was with Naomi. She still had no clue that he had a girlfriend. It was with Hinata that he felt guilty. It wasn't that she hounded him about it. She never asked to be introduced or why she hadn't been introduced. When Naruto mentioned Naomi—which he tried rarely to do—she only asked how Naomi was doing. She never made him feel guilty that he didn't bring her around which just made him feel more guilty. He swore to himself he'd make it up to her when he knew it was safe, but for now this was for the best. Hinata's protection came first.

He also continued his training of Botan, his genin patrol partner. He'd discovered that the kid had an interesting gekkei kenkei. He could stretch out any part of his body to about 25 meters, and probably more as he grew older. However, if he used up his chakra before contracting, he was stuck with whatever he'd done until he'd rested, and recovered enough chakra to go back to normal. He had some funny stories about some accidental stretching he'd done when he was younger and his chakra was limited. He was a very funny kid.

As he got to know the kid, Naruto found the similarities between them to be less prominent than he'd first thought—cocky grin notwithstanding. Unlike Naruto, Botan had a large family. He was the oldest boy, and first to attend ninja school of his brothers and sisters. He wasn't a real goof-off. He was actually just a funny kid who wound up being the class clown by default. That Naruto could identify with—except his experience as clown hadn't been deliberate. He envied Botan's ability to be funny on purpose. Luckily, Naruto had learned to laugh at himself or he'd have gotten a complex.

Surprisingly, Naruto found teaching to be an enjoyable task. Of course, he didn't know how he'd manage with a roomful of kids like Iruka sensei had—especially if he had a few goof-offs like himself, Shikamaru, Kiba and Choji. He didn't think he'd be able to keep his cool like Iruka sensei usually had. He began to admire his first teacher even more than he had in the past. He hoped Iruka sensei came back soon so he could tell him as much, and maybe even treat him to a meal at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar for a change. Yeah, he'd really enjoy that.

Naruto and Hinata didn't have another evening date during the next few days, but he spent his next day off with her.

She'd shown him the plans she'd sketched out for her water garden. Her little home and yard were separated from the main house by a fence. She had enough of a yard for a nice sized garden. She wanted a pond with a small bridge arching across. She'd planned an artistic arrangement of rocks and plants surrounding the pond. She intended to stock it with koi once it was completed.

Naruto admired her plans, but could think of nothing to add to. He simply complimented her on her drawing, and asked her where he should start digging. She placed stacks to outline the dimensions of her pond. He started in the center tossing the dirt outside the circle.

As he dug the 3 meter deep and 10 meter in diameter hole for her pond, she mended the clothes she'd insisted he bring with him. It took him half a day to dig the hole to the proper proportions. She begged him to quit several times to rest, but he'd wanted to finish this part of the job as quickly as possible. He didn't stop until he was finished. Then he covered the hole with a tarp until he had a chance on his next day off to line it so the water would stay without seeping into the ground.

"Whew! That was hard work," he exclaimed, throwing himself on her back porch to rest.

She had a tall, cool drink ready for him when he finished, and set it down beside him. "Thank you, Naruto. You worked so hard. You didn't have to finish it all today. I've had these plans for years. A few more days or weeks would not have mattered."

"Once I start something, I like to finish it. I'd set today's goal at digging the hole. I wasn't about to quit until I'd finished," he told her firmly. He sat up, took the glass she'd set beside him, and downed it in one long gulp. He lay back down breathing heavily when he'd finished.

"Would you like to take a bath? I have herbs and oils for the bath that will soothe aching muscles?" she suggested.

"Really? That would be great, but what would I change into? I didn't bring any clean clothes."

"Of course, you did. I mended everything in the basket you brought me."

"Already? I thought you'd work on it a little at a time."

"Once I start something, I like to finish it" she repeated with a smile.

He grinned up at her. "Thanks, Hinata. A bath would be great."

"Wait here. I'll fill the tub for you."

She walked into the house to draw his bath. He lay on the porch feeling the early fall breeze cool off his hot, sweaty body. In the quiet, he could hear the sounds of birds, and insects. He felt at peace lying there—as if he belonged there.

Hinata returned after a few minutes. "Everything's ready. Would—would you like me to scrub your back?" she asked shyly.

He flushed. "No, no, I can handle it. Thank you." He blushed at the thought. It was innocuous enough on the surface—having his back scrubbed. But he'd be naked with the girl he liked in a small enclosed room—no, no, he wasn't ready for that advancement in intimacy in their relationship, and judging by her red face she wasn't really ready for it either. After his unusually polite refusal, he quickly disappeared alone into her bath where a red face would be justified, and not a sign of embarrassment.

She cooked dinner for him again. He insisted on washing the dishes. They enjoyed each other's company discovering likes and dislikes they'd yet to reveal. Just being together was enough for both of them. It didn't matter what they did or where they went. Hinata began to feel more secure in her relationship with Naruto. She'd felt emboldened after her offer to scrub Naruto's back. She even began to initiate some of their kisses. It was a very sweet time in their fledgling relationship.

* * *

Early during his next guard shift, Kiba was accosted by the five monks of the Order of the Way of the Horse while he was taking a ride on Akamaru. He'd heard about the incident at the theater from the Fifth. She'd heard it from all the ninja in the audience at the time, and told her patrols to watch the group. They seemed peaceful, but that didn't mean the people they challenged wouldn't respond violently when provoked. If they were prepared to make a spectacle at the theater then they were capable of causing trouble any where.

"How dare you ride that dog like a mule? Get down from there, boy," the spokesman of the group, Yuu Higa demanded, pointing at Kiba then to the ground. He talked like an old man, but he could only have been in his thirties.

"Turn about is fair play, _old man_. He used to ride on me—now I ride on him," Kiba told him with an insolent laugh.

"Animals have no understanding of being used. They would do anything for a kind word or pat. It's unfair to subject them to hard, strenuous work. You should treat your pet more kindly" he said pedantically, crossing his arms, and glaring.

"Akamaru's not my pet. He's my partner." Kiba scratched behind his partner's ear which he seemed to enjoy as evidenced by his wagging tail.

"Your partner? That's absurd. Animals haven't that kind of understanding. Compared to us their intelligence is severely limited."

"You don't say? What do you think about that, Akarmaru? I think you're pretty smart—smarter than me sometimes. Am I your partner or what?"

Akamaru raised his head, and gave a loud bark then turned and snarled at the monks. They backed up quickly.

"Akamaru says you don't know what you're talking about."

"How dare you pretend to understand that animal's barking! You prompted him to bark. You're blatantly using that animal for your own purposes!"

Kiba patted Akamaru's head. "The Inuzuka family have always been able to talk dog. That's our specialty. I know exactly what Akamaru says to me just as he understands what I say."

"Inuzuka family?"

"That's right. If you don't get off my case, I'll have my mom or sister come over, and have a chat with you. They wouldn't like your attitude at all. So watch out. You don't want to make a female Inuzuka mad. I'm the even tempered one in the family." He shook his head in warning.

"We'll see about that." The abbott nudged one of his monks.

The other monk reached into his pocket, and pulled out his wooden whistle. Before he could blow it, Akamaru leaped on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground.

"Help! Get him off me!" The grounded monk cried, and tried to struggle, but he was no match for the large dog.

"How dare you accost a monk of a peaceful order! Remove that animal immediately," the abbot demanded backing safely out of range.

Akamaru barked, lowered his head and snarled.

Kiba jumped down from Akamaru's back, bent down, and plucked the whistle from the downed monk's hand. "I heard about this whistle. Dogs can hear it, but human's can't. Dogs don't like it. For someone who pretends a concern for animal welfare that seems on the cruel side to me. I don't like it either." He dropped it on the ground, stepped on it, and ground it into a few dozen pieces.

"How care you! You've damaged a valuable artifact! I demand compensation. I'll report this to your Hokage."

"Why don't you do that? She wasn't too pleased by your disruption of the performance at the theater the other day. That kind of thing gives Konoha a bad name. Don't worry, I intend to tell her about this incident myself. Why don't you head home before you cause any real trouble? Come on, Akamaru, we've given them their warning."

Akamaru moved off the monk, and settled beside Kiba. They watched as the monks hastily pick up their downed companion, mumbled disgruntled things, sent them dark looks, and hurried away. Kiba reported the incident to his team leader, Sakura, and hoped the Fifth would give those monks a talking to. He wouldn't be as nice the next time he ran into that group if they accused him of mistreating Akarmaru again. If that happened he just might let Akamaru do whatever he wanted with the group. That might change their _be kind to animals_ stance in a major way.

* * *

Shikamaru studied the pool table carefully before setting up for his next shot. Choji knew he didn't stand a chance beating him at any game of skill, but he enjoyed playing games with his best friend anyway. At least he had a better chance of beating Shikamaru at pool than he did at shogi. Only Asuma sensei had ever challenged Shikamaru at shogi. Asuma sensei had been smart, but even he couldn't beat Shikamaru at shogi. Nobody could.

Choji stepped aside, as his friend made his way around the table preparing for the best possible shot.

Shikamaru set up, aimed, and sunk his shot perfectly. He missed the next one, but only by a hair, giving Choji a chance to play.

At the end of the game, while Shikamaru racked up for the next one, Choji finally told him what had been on his mind since their last turn at guard duty.

"Hey, Shikamaru, while we were on patrol the other night—did you ever have the feeling you were being watched?" he asked lightly.

Shikamaru stopped gathering the balls, and looked over at his friend. "Yeah, I did."

"So maybe it wasn't Naruto's imagination—about being watched? Maybe we were being watched?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we were all feeling antsy, and Naruto's suggestion got under our skin. In the quiet of the night, virtually alone, your mind can play tricks on you."

"A collective delusion?"

"Maybe or maybe there was someone watching all of us. Maybe someone's looking for his or her or their next opportunity to attack someone. Maybe that person's studying our routine looking for ways around the patrol. That's why I insist on mixing things up, and not doing our patrol in a pattern. We've got to stay as unpredictable as possible so this person doesn't get a good opportunity to attack again."

"Why haven't we seen anyone? Nobody's mentioned seeing anything out of the ordinary. How can someone watch us, but not be seen?"

"I don't know that either. Maybe this person is just ordinary—someone we expect to see so we don't even notice. We just have to do our jobs the best we can to prevent another attack. The Fifth questioned the attacked guy's family. Nobody seemed suspicious. There wasn't any evidence around his home to suggest that the attack occurred at his house or his neighbor's or his work. Not one of his family or acquaintance has an explanation. No witness has come forward. We've got nothing to go on."

"Hey, how do you know what the Fifth's been up to?" Choji asked in surprise.

Shikamaru shrugged. "The Fifth explained the situation, and asked my opinion. She knows I'm good at this kind of thing. But even I can't figure out what happened when there's no evidence. I'm good, but even I'm not that good."

"I knew you'd be involved in this investigation somehow. The Fifth doesn't have anyone else to rely on in a situation like this," he said with admiration.

"She's not bad at deduction herself. But we couldn't come up with anything concrete to go on. Unfortunately, to move forward we'll just have to wait and see if there's another attack which at the same time we'll do our damnest to prevent." Shikamaru gestured for Choji to break.

"Bummer."

"Yeah. Ain't it just," Shikamaru agreed morosely, and watched Choji sink his first shot.

They sure didn't need some strange, assailant roaming the streets of Konoha looking for trouble while most of the ninja were gone for an extended period of time. This could be more troublesome than anything he'd dealt with in a long time. He hoped Choji's idea of a collective delusion was on the mark, but he doubted it. Someone was watching them. He sensed it intuitively. He just didn't know how. Damn it!

* * *

Tsunade breezed into the lab on the second floor of the ninja complex, her jacket and pig-tailed hair wafting away from her body in the wake of her rapid advance. She stopped at the side of the lab tech working at a counter.

"You have those lab results for me, Mai?"

"Right here," the woman about Tsunade's age, but without her ability to appear younger, handed her the paperwork she'd recently completely.

Tsunade read over the results quickly, her brow furrowed into a deep frown. "This is impossible! Are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"

"I performed the test myself. I don't make mistakes," the tech told her haughtily.

"I need unquestionably accurate results, Mai. If there's the slightest chance that an error has been made—"

"Impossible," the woman interrupted curtly.

"Humpf! I want you to acquire new samples. When you run the tests next time, I want to be present."

"The results will be the same."

"Let me be the judge of that. I _must_ be sure."

The lab tech threw up her hands. "Fine. I'll let you know when I'm ready to take the new samples. You can witness every step of the procedure from the beginning if that will make you happy."

"I'm not searching for happiness. I'm searching for answers. Keep me informed," she ordered turning abruptly away. When she reached the door, she turned back. "Mai?"

"What?" she snapped back.

"I'm sorry to doubt you, but I must be absolutely certain. Humor me."

She sniffed. "When have I ever done other than everything you've asked of me?"

"Never. Thank you, Mai. You're the only one I can trust with this."

"You're welcome. Now get out of here, and let me get back to work."

Tsunade smiled briefly, but once out the door her face fell back into an intense frown. _Yukari Sarutobi, what were you up to?_, she thought angrily.


	15. Another rude awakening

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XV. Another rude awakening

Naruto was dreaming a really nice dream. Hinata was in it—at least that was his impression. Once he was awake he couldn't remember a single other moment, but while he was in that in between sleep and wake state he felt a really sweet, loving feeling. It was the kind of feeling that stayed with you once you were awake centering around the person you dreamed about. It was a nice feeling to have involving Hinata. It only intensified the feelings he was already experiencing.

However, that in between state didn't last long before he became aware of a loud, insistent banging on his door, and a voice yelling, "Naruto! Hey, Naruto! Get up! Get up! The Fifth wants you ASAP!"

_ASAP?_, he thought. _What the hell's ASAP?_

As his befuddled brain began to wake up, he groaned, and rolled out of bed stumbling to the door. He would have called this a déjà vu moment, but it wasn't Lee at the door this time—it was Konohamaru.

He jerked the door open, almost getting hit in the head as Konohamaru readied his fist to pound on the door again. "What time is it? What's going on? Didn't you have guard duty last night? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked yawning and running a hand through his already incredibly tousled hair.

"Wake up, Naruto. Get dressed. I haven't been to bed yet. I know it's early, but this is serious." Konohamaru stormed into the room all intense energy. He must have been running on adrenalin after all night on patrol.

Why were all his visitors in such an all fire hurry? Why did they always have to talk to him when he was still asleep? What was so damn important that couldn't wait until he was up, dressed and mentally ready to face the day as well as their confessions? Why didn't they have some consideration for his schedule? Maybe he was just too easy going. Maybe he needed to let these guys know that he had a life, too. He wasn't here just to listen to their problems. Yeah, maybe he should start this new policy with Konohamaru.

He must have mumbled all that aloud, because Konohamaru answered in an impatient rush, "Naruto, this is important. It's not about me. Last night on patrol. There were two of them. Tenten found them on her patrol. One was lying near the riverwalk, and one was on a boat nearby."

"Unh? Two what?" He went into his tiny bathroom as he asked his questions. There were certain morning functions that needed to be attended to no matter how quickly he had to get dressed. Brushing his teeth was the least important of them.

"Two more guys were attacked. The same as the last one—two neck wounds and missing blood not a drop around them. They were still alive when we found 'em. The Fifth wants to brief everyone. She wants to start an official investigation—question everyone in the village. Nobody gets any free time until the attacker is found."

"Damn," he said in resignation as he finished up in the bathroom, and began to pull on his clothes. There went all his plans with Hinata in the near future. "Who was attacked?"

"A teacher from the village school, and a shopkeeper. The Fifth recognized one of them, and Lee knew the other one. Neither one of them was conscious when the Fifth told us to get all the ninja to the complex ASAP."

"What the hell is this ASAP stuff?"

"Duh! As soon as possible."

"As-A, soon-S, as-A, possible-P. I get it. I don't think I've ever heard that one before. Who else are you rudely waking up in the middle of the night?"

"Hardly the middle of the night. It's almost six. I've already been to the rest of your team. That was my assignment. Tenten's getting Sakura's team. Lee and Moegi's getting the rest of the genin and chûnin. Neji's staying at the front gate with Udon. I saved you for last to give you a little more sleep time. I thought you'd appreciate that and not bite my head off," he said disgruntled.

"Hey, I do. Really, I do. Thanks, Konohamaru."

"See, I'm not a bad guy. I've got a lot of good qualities. Ask anyone. I'm not someone you can't let anyone in your family be friends with—say, _a cousin_," he said pointedly.

Naruto was putting on his headband, and almost dropped it. Damn not again! Why now? Didn't the Fifth tell Konohamaru anything? Why was he always left with the dirty jobs? "Look, Konohamaru, it's not like that. I know you're a good guy. Gran—the Fifth is still checking Naomi out. We want to make sure she really is my cousin before I go introducing her to everyone, and letting her make friends."

"What? You mean she might not be your cousin? But she looks just like you."

"Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. She came out of nowhere. Even the Fifth had no idea she existed. We're just being careful. Why don't you just chill until I find out that everything's okay?"

"So you're just protecting me?"

"Yeah, that's right," he lied. He felt more protective of Naomi than Konohamaru, but the kid didn't need to know that—yet.

Before he had to go into any more awkward half-true explanations, there was another knock on the door, a much quieter knock. Konohamaru beat him to the door. He flung it open to reveal Hinata.

"Oh, hi, Konohamaru, Naruto. I was checking to see if you'd left for the ninja complex yet," she said flustered at discovering someone else in Naruto's room. She thought he'd still be getting ready to leave. She'd thought to see Naruto's room when he had no excuse to keep her out. She knew he only lived in a small room, but she still wanted to see it. It might give her some idea about what to get him for his birthday coming up in a few weeks.

"Hi, Hinata. Konohamaru just woke me up. I hope he was nicer about it when he woke you up then he was with me. He about gave me a heart attack, he was so loud."

"I was already awake, so I was only surprised a little," she smiled shyly at Konohamaru. "He really wasn't very loud at my door—just persistent."

"I knew Naruto would be sleeping like a log, so I had to be loud," he explained.

He scowled at the much too chipper kid. He still didn't feel awake. He hated being startled awake. "How did you know that? You don't know anything about my sleep habits. You're just guessing."

He grinned disarmingly. "It was a good guess, wasn't it? It took you at least five minutes to get to the door."

"Yeah, well, I was just waking up on my own when you barged in. You interrupted a really good dream, Konohamaru. I should punch you out not thank you," he growled.

"The Fifth wouldn't like that."

"That's why I won't do it." Naruto looked around the room. His stomach growled, and he rubbed it. "I guess I'm ready. I wish I had time for breakfast, but I suppose I'll have to wait 'till after the meeting."

"I brought you some breakfast," Hinata said, and drew a wrapped pastry from the pack at her side.

He grinned at her in pleasure. She was so incredibly thoughtful. "Wow, Hinata, you're a life safer! How did you know?"

"I'm a good guesser like Konohamaru," she smiled at him.

Naruto quickly ushered his guests out of his place, locked the door, then took a large bite out of the pastry, Hinata had brought him. "This is really good. Did you bake it?"

"No. I didn't have time to bake this morning. Konohamaru interrupted me as I was getting started. I bought it on the way over here."

Konohamaru was watching them curiously. "Hey, are you two—ah—you know—ah—lovers or something?"

Naruto almost choked on his breakfast. "What? Why do you say it like that? Don't be so rude. We're friends—really good friends."

"Yeah? Really good friends, unh? What kind of really good friends?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Naruto was turning red, and getting mad. This was getting interesting.

"As if it's any of your business, Konohamaru." He looked at Hinata. She looked at him in disappointment not embarrassment. What did that mean? He scratched his head, and gave it a moment's thought. Did she want Konohamaru to know about them? Was that it? Was she disappointed that he wanted to keep it just between them for awhile? Well, he couldn't allow her to be disappointed in him. "Hinata's my girlfriend, okay? Now shut up about it," he said gruffly.

Hinata gave him a wide, pleased smile which made the confession worth all the ragging he knew would come from it.

Konohamaru's mouth dropped open. "Wow! You've got a girlfriend? I never would have believed it. Wow!" He gave Hinata a more careful appraisal. He'd never really noticed her before. She was always so quiet and shy. But seeing Naruto and Hinata together, he could see the attraction of opposites.

Naruto scowled. "What are you so surprised about? Why can't I have a girlfriend? I'm a nice guy, too."

"I don't know. I guess I just never thought any girl would like you," he said with faked innocence. He couldn't help teasing him since he seemed so uncomfortable about it.

"Well, one _does_ so quit laughing about it."

"I'm not laughing. Honestly. Hinata, what do you see in this guy anyway? How can anyone like a mug like that?"

"Shut up, Konohamaru. You're embarrassing Hinata," Naruto growled.

"I'm not embarrassed really," Hinata denied although her face was a bright red. "I—I like Naruto very much. You mustn't tease him."

Konohamaru had the decency to look embarrassed himself. He'd only wanted to needle Naruto not distress Hinata. "I'm sorry. I won't do it anymore. I like Naruto, too."

"Quit it both of you. Now _you're_ embarrassing me." But he was more pleased than embarrassed. It was nice to hear he was liked.

He finished off his pastry. It had only taken the edge off his hunger. Just as he was thinking about when he could get another bite to eat, Hinata pulled another pastry out of her pack, and placed it in his hands. He silently mouthed _thank you_, so he wouldn't draw Konohamaru's attention, but the kid had already been covertly watching them.

"So—how long have you two been going together?"

Naruto choked on his food again. "Damn it, Konohamaru! Why do you always have to ask that kind of stuff while I'm eating?"

Konohamaru shrugged his shoulders, and slapped him on the back until he stopped coughing. "I'm just curious. I never suspected a thing. You've never had a girlfriend before that I knew about."

"Why should you know? We don't hang out that much outside of ninja stuff."

"I don't know. You just don't seem the type to have a girlfriend. You couldn't even get that babe Sakura to go out with you."

"How do you know that? Damn it, Konohamaru, shut up!" He glanced quickly at Hinata, but she didn't seem annoyed by the questions like he was. She still had that pleased little smile on her face. What was that about?

He nodded wisely. "I can make an educated guess based on many years of observation. You're more of a kid than I am when it comes to girls."

"Apparently not since I've got a girlfriend and you don't."

"Hey, I'm still young. I could have a girlfriend if I wanted to. I could have a really nice one if you didn't interfere."

"We already talked about that. Drop it, Konohamaru."

"I don't see how she couldn't be your cousin. She looks just like you," he continued to argue. "The Fifth's just being overly cautious."

"Konohamaru—" he warned. He looked at Hinata again. He hadn't explained any of this to her. If too many people found out about this, Naomi would hear about it. He didn't want her to realize they were suspicious of her. It would hurt her feelings if she were the real thing. And if she wasn't the real thing, she might run off before they could figure out what she was up to.

Hinata looked at him in askance, but said nothing. She'd contained her curiosity about Naruto's cousin because he seemed reluctant to discuss her. But if Konohamaru knew all about it—why couldn't she?

He could see it in her eyes so in resignation he began to explain. "Look, Hinata. I just told Konohamaru this morning. I'll tell you, too, but you've both got to keep this quiet. The Fifth wants to check out Naomi to make sure she's really my cousin, okay? She just wants to be careful since we're operating on a skeleton staff here. I don't want Naomi to know we have doubts in case she really is my cousin. I haven't introduced you to her yet for the same reason. The only reason Konohamaru knows her is that she's staying with the Fifth, and he lives next door. He butted in where he wasn't wanted, and I couldn't get rid of him. That's it," he confessed.

"It's okay, Naruto. I can wait. Does she really look like you?"

"Naw—"

"She's the spitting image," Konohamaru interrupted. "Except she's pretty—really pretty." He was feeling disgruntled at the _butted in where he wasn't wanted_ remark.

"You like her," Hinata said with a smile.

"Sure. She's really nice. She's pretty. She's different from the other girls I know. She's sweet and shy. Sure, I like her."

Naruto sighed. That sounded just like his feelings for Hinata. This wasn't good. He didn't want Naomi to have a boyfriend yet. She was too young. He wished the Fifth would hurry up, and find out if she were his cousin. He hated this ambivalence he was suppose to feel about her, because it wasn't working. He didn't feel anything like ambivalent. He was feeling extremely protective and fraternal. She'd better be real. He didn't know if he could turn off these feelings.

"Don't we have more important things to worry about than my cousin? Shouldn't we be thinking about the new attacks?"

Konohamaru sobered immediately. "Yeah. This is bad. Really bad. I don't know what we're going to do without the other jônin here."

"We've got Shikamaru. If anyone can figure this out he can," Naruto stated confidently.

"What this about? Konohamaru, you didn't explain anything about it this morning," Hinata asked in concern.

He shrugged. "You didn't ask.

"Two more people were attacked, Hinata, just like the guy we found," Naruto explained. "That's why the Fifth wants us all at the ninja complex. We've got a serious problem on our hands."

"Oh my," was all she could think to say.

They were quiet for a few minutes as they walked towards the ninja complex until Konohamaru spoke again. "Say, Naruto, how come you tried to take all the credit for finding that first guy? You never said anything about Hinata being there with you."

"Maybe I didn't want everyone to know my business. Just shut up about it all, Konohamaru," he said in exasperation, and stalked ahead grabbing Hinata's arm to bring her with him, and leaving Konohamaru to hurry in their wake.

The main meeting room was full with what mostly looked like children and teens. Tsunade would be the only totally adult ninja in the room when she showed up. They made their way towards the front right of the dais where the Hokage would speak. Naruto liked being in the front where the action was. Konohamaru stood with Naruto and Hinata. If anyone was looking for him, they'd find him easily enough—which happened almost immediately.

"Konohamaru, where have you been?" Moegi confronted him with her hands on her hips. She was an attractive, athletic looking girl. Her most noticeable feature was the abundance of her bushy, reddish brown hair.

He looked bored, and pointed a thumb at Naruto and Hinata standing closely together. "With my friends."

She dismissed Naruto and Hinata with a glance before turning back to Konohamaru. "I've been waiting for you. I told you I'd be waiting here."

"Well, here I am."

She crossed her arms over her chest, and rapped her foot repeatedly on the floor clearly displaying her displeasure. "Konhamaru, what's up with you? You've been acting so strange. I don't get you at all."

He shrugged. "Nothin's wrong. I'm the same as I always am. What's up with you? Why do you have to be so bossy and controlling all the time?"

"What are you talking about? I am not!" she cried in outrage. "You're just being mean. I wish Udon was here, and you were on guard duty," she declared angrily.

"I bet you do. So do I. I'd rather be hanging out with Neji. He's cool."

"Thanks a lot, Konohamaru," Naruto said dryly. He felt a need to do something to defuse this situation before the usually smooth Konohamaru got himself slapped or worse. Even he knew better than to talk to a female that way.

He reddened. "You know what I mean."

"Do you know what you mean? Geez, Konohamaru, jealous much? Maybe you're trying to juggle too many girlfriends when you should be concentrating on just one."

"What? What does he mean too many girlfriends?" Moegi demanded.

Konohamaru's face remained red. "He doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't have a girlfriend—_any girlfriend_."

"What about me?"

"What about you? Didn't we agree we wouldn't date for the sake of the team? Or maybe you and Udon didn't get the memo? I've seen the two of you together all the time lately."

"He's my friend, and he's been a better friend than you've been. He's been around which is more than I can say for you lately."

A few people near them laughed.

Konohamaru looked around suddenly aware that until the Fifth called order to the meeting, they were the main attraction in this corner of the room. He turned even redder. "We'll talk about this later," he hissed.

"No we won't. I never want to talk to you again!" she declared then huffed off to another section of the room.

"Why'd you have to butt in Naruto? You started this," he turned angrily on Naruto.

He fold his arms, and shook his head. "I don't think so. You're on your own there, Konohamaru. Remember, I know nothing about women."

"You should know something now that you've got a girlfriend," he said a little too loudly in his embarrassed anger.

It was Naruto's turn to redden, and become aware that everyone around them was listening in. "Konohamaru, why don't you go over there and apologize to Moegi? You were pretty mean to her."

"Why don't you take your own advice, and mind your own business?" He glared.

"Please don't fight. Remember you're friends," Hinata pleaded, but was gently shuffled aside as several people converged on Naruto.

"What's this about a girlfriend, Naruto?" Shikamaru said coming up along his right side, and slapping him on the back. "Hello, Hinata."

"Yeah, why are we the last to know?" Choji came up on the other side of him giving him another slap. "Hello, Hinata."

"You have a girlfriend, Naruto?" Sakura asked coming up to the group right after the other two. "When did this happen? Hello, Hinata." Sakura's greeting didn't have the know-it-all sound of Shikamaru's and Choji's.

"Is this true, Naruto?" Lee asked up right behind Sakura. "You have a girlfriend? That is wonderful. Hello, Hinata." Lee, also, had no clue in his greeting.

Naruto couldn't even see Hinata, he was totally surrounded by his inquisitive friends. Before he could think of anything to say, the situation was fortunately interrupted.

"Silence! Attention! This meeting is now called to order," Tsunade announced loudly over the various conversations in the room. She strode onto the dais flanked by Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu. They were actually the oldest living ninja in the village before Tsunade. They'd been advisors to the Hokages since the first time the Third was Hokage.

"I want quiet while I explain this dire situation to you, and give you your new orders."


	16. The Fifth’s strategy session

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XVI. The Fifth's strategy session

Tsunade walked out on the dais with Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu following grimly behind her. They both looked like dried-up old prunes beside her youthful appearance. Over the nearly seven years of her tenure as Hokage she hadn't aged a minute. It was definitely vanity which had her continuing to use the jutsu which kept her appearance young. She knew the risks involved, but she was willing to risk time at the end of her life to maintain the spectacular quality of her present. If she had to actually look like the venerable pair following her—she'd rather be dead.

As she stared out over the group of young faces that only partially filled the room, she was acutely aware that so many of the ninja standing before her were little more than children. She'd placed children ninja in jeopardy every year of her tenure as Hokage, and she'd never liked the necessity. They hardly had time to be children before they were thrown into dangers that were sometimes even too difficult for most adults to handle. It didn't matter that the majority of those in the room were exceedingly gifted. She'd seen too much of the snuffing out of life before its time. Sometimes she wondered how she could bear to grow fond of any of them again if tomorrow she must face their deaths. But despite her desire to harden her heart against loss, she was fond of many of the children, youth and young adults in this room ready to put their lives on the line to protect their home.

Why could there never be peace in the land? Why must those with power seek ever more power, ever more control over everyone and everything around them? She'd never sought the position of power she now held. She'd never wanted the power of life and death. She'd run away from her destiny for years, but it had come relentlessly to find her in the person of a brash, irrepressible, young ninja named Naruto Uzumaki. Maybe if he hadn't reminded her so much of her deceased brother Nawaki she'd have been able to withstand his appeal. Maybe—then again—maybe not. Naruto Uzumaki had a great appeal all his own. He certainly would have died trying to bring her back to Konoha—and he almost did. In the face of his determination and idealism, she'd finally been forced by her awakened sense of honor to don the mantle of power offered her by the elder advisors of Konoha—the power that Naruto sought as idealistically as her brother before him. Once she'd accepted the position of Hokage, she was determined not to let Naruto or Nawaki down. She would do what she had to do no matter how hard it might be to protect Konoha and all of her inhabitants.

Here she and what was left of her shinobi stood in the great hall of the ninja complex—a hall large enough to accommodate every ninja of Konoha—immersed in a dire situation in their own back yard that could result in the deaths of any one of them. She had no idea what they were dealing with. So far no one had died, but was that by design or accident? Only the perpetrator could tell them for certain, but who was that person? Yes, she'd come to the conclusion that it was a human instrument responsible for these attacks and not an animal or other form of wildlife. An animal would not attack so neatly. An animal had no conscience in regards to killing their prey. An animal would not have been so conscious of remaining unseen. An animal would leave some signs of its presence having no knowledge of trace evidence.

She squared her shoulders, and stared out over the sea (a small one) of young faces. Many of them had quieted as soon as she'd walked into the room. Naturally, Naruto's little group of cronies had continued their own little drama ever more loudly until she'd had to yell at them to listen. Somehow there was always a drama centered around Naruto. He couldn't avoid attracting attention. His very presence was simply too there to be avoided or ignored. In a Hokage that would be a good quality. In a young jônin—not so good.

She stopped walking when she reached front and center of the dais. She stood still and formidable with her hands on her hips as she waited for all the talking to cease. She leveled dark stares on the holdouts. Surprisingly, Naruto's group was not the last to quiet down, although she continued to give them a sharp glance now and then just because. Once there was absolute silence for an appreciable length of time, she began to speak again.

"First, I'd like to thank all of you for your magnificent efforts to cover for the absence of the senior jônin. Every one of you is doing a tremendous job even those with very little real time experience. I commend all of you for your efforts. I think Konoha is in very good hands at her time of need, and in the future."

She paused, dropped her hands from her hips, and took a step forward. There had been a shuffling, and mumbling among the shinobi at her unexpected praise, but they quieted down quickly this time. She only had to wait a moment for silence to reign again.

"I know rumors abound already regarding the latest attack, but you must not listen to rumors. You must take your facts from me. Only I will have the complete story. Only I will collect all the facts together, and disperse them sensibly to you without hyperbole and innuendo. Here are the facts as I know them at this moment.

Two men were discovered in the early hours of the morning. One man was found near the riverwalk tucked into an alley on the side opposite the river. The other man was found on a boat in the river almost directly across from the alley. Each man had two puncture wounds in his neck, and had been drained of over two litres of blood. There was no blood found at the scene, and very little around the wound. Neither man has regained consciousness yet, so we don't know what they might remember about the attack. These two attacks bear a striking similarity to the one last week. There is no reason to doubt that the perpetrator of all three attacks was the same person. Based on our experience with the first attack victim, neither man found this morning may remember anything about their attack that will aid in our investigation."

Low level mumbling broke out among the shinobi. It was naïve to expect that such young ninja could keep quiet for very long. She was pleased to see that at least the older ones remained respectfully silent, and attempted to admonish the younger ones around them in effective ways such as rapping them sharply on the head, back, shoulder or leg. Unfortunately, this type of corrective action resulted in more noise at first, but order was generally restored far more quickly with this method of discipline than mere shushing. She made no protest to whatever procedures brought order as quickly as possible to the room. If anyone dared breaching her patience, they'd feel more than modest raps on their persons. She made that clear with the narrowed glare she sent around the room.

"Despite the lack of empirical evidence, we will investigate these attacks as thoroughly as possible. I've determined that the attacker is human, and not an animal based on my own observations of the wounds, scenes of the attacks, and my understanding of animal behavior.

So far our attacker has not killed. However, until we know the circumstances surrounding these attacks, we must consider the attacker dangerous with the potential to escalate to killing at any given moment. You must all be vigilant. Even off-duty you must be careful never to wander the streets alone after dark. Although these attacks give all evidence of being perpetrated at night, you must still be careful during daylight hours. We just don't know enough to give reassurances of safety at any time. I want you to keep this in mind at all times."

She paused allowing this information to sink in before continuing. "Mitokado, Utatane, and I have formulated a plan of investigation. I will assign your duties now with everyone present so you will all understand the procedures of this investigation.

Each morning you will report here for new information or a change in duties or strategy. There will be no off time for frivolous activities. Your off duty time will be spent resting, and recoupingyour energies for your next task. I don't want you depleting your energy or chakra with excessive training activities. Your strength, skills, and stamina may be required at any time. I need you all to remain in top most physical, mental, and spiritual condition. Do what you have to do to stay that way." Her voice commanded clearly through the silent hall.

She paused again for dramatic effect, and to reduce information overload. She gave her shinobi time to absorb her words before continuing.

"All those genin and chûnin who don't already have specific guard and patrol duties, I want you to follow Mitokado and Utatane to another room. Your assignment today will be to knock on the door of every residence in Konoha, and warn every inhabitant of the dangers of walking the streets at night or during the day alone. You will tell them of the attacks, and relay to everyone that if they have any information pertinent to these attacks, they should bring it to me at the ninja complex as soon as possible. This evening you will be available at the hotel, theater, and any business open after normal business hours to escort people safely home. You will do this in groups of at least two. I want genin paired with chûnin whenever possible. I don't want any ninja alone after dark no matter what. Mitokado and Utatane will coordinate your routes. Report back to them when you've completed your assignments. Good luck all of you—and be careful."

She waited for the largest group of shinobi present to file from the room following the two old advisors. They would be in good hands. Those two could scare anyone into obedience with one sour, penetrating glance. She'd heard more than one accusation about the _evil eye_ regarding those two. The youngest genin would toe the line faithfully rather than deal with their displeasure—of that she had no doubt. Their bite could definitely be as bad as their bark.

Once the room was cleared and quiet again, she turned back and studied her remaining shinobi.

There were eleven jônin minus the one at the gate. There were three chûnin minus the one at the gate. And there were eight genin. Originally, she'd chosen the chûnin and genin loosely matching their skills to her remaining jônin still in the village. She'd hoped this would be a quiet time that could be used as a training period for some of the more talented genin. Unfortunately, the training had become real. She hoped she'd chosen well among the genin and chûnin she had available. These 22 shinobi were the bulwark of her defense, and her best investigative force presently in the village. If they couldn't handle this situation, she didn't know what would happen until her more experienced jônin returned—_who knew when_. She almost wished she'd kept some Anbu Black Ops in the village, but their stealth skills had been especially valuable to the mission outside the village. She'd insisted that they all cooperate in that mission.

"You may not be best pleased with the way I've divided up this investigation, but I've had to take into account your already scheduled duties—_so live with it_.

First, I'll deal with last night's guards which involves Neji's group. Unfortunately, there is little for you in today's investigation. You must rest. You'll be useless to me if you wear yourselves out before you're needed. So today, Neji, Lee, Tenten, Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi will not be involved in any duties until this evening. After you've replenished your energy, I want you to report back here for new assignments. I'll probably have you join the younger shinobi in escorting people from evening entertainments or businesses to their homes. Lee, don't hurry off. You may stay and listen to the assignments of the rest of the groups. I'd like you and Tenten to explain the situation to Neji."

Lee stopped his immediate rush towards the door. "Yes, ma'am," he said saluting her, and returned to his place at Sakura's side. He and Konohamaru both looked disappointed to be left out of the day's investigations. Resting hardly seemed important compared to what everyone else would be doing. It was assumed that Neji would be displeased as well. Lee didn't look forward to explaining it to him.

"Sakura, your group has guard duty tonight, so I want you to alternate on the front gate today instead of Shikamaru's group. I don't want you worn out before your night duties so make the shifts short. While tending the gate, I want you to track any new arrivals in Konoha. I want everyone guarding the gate to do this from now on. I want names, place of departure, specific destination, purpose of visit, and length of visit. I want visitors to be apprised of the situation, and warned to be careful, but I don't want them alarmed. I don't think we're ready to totally close off Konoha to outsiders, but I don't want any visitors harmed. That would _not _be good for our reputation. If a Hidden Village couldn't control a dangerous situation within her boundaries, then who would respect our abilities? Besides, the village relies economically on tourism. We must keep the tourists safe and happy.

I'd also like you to visit the hotel, and obtain a list of visitors staying there. Interview as many as you can and obtain the same information you would at the front gate. If you can't complete the information by the time your shift at the front gate begins, I'll have Neji's group complete it."

Sakura's group looked only slightly less disappointed with their assignment then Neji's group. It was a necessary duty, but why couldn't they have a meatier assignment? Sakura wouldn't question the Hokage anymore than Lee would, but she'd have preferred doing something more investigative than guarding the front gate. Anyone could do that.

Tsuande turned to the last group awaiting instructions. "Shikamaru, I want you, Choji and your genin to investigate the homes, businesses, family, friends, and associates of the two attacked men. I want a thorough examination made of all the premises involved. I want everyone's movements last night accounted for. Shikamaru, you're the best person to handle this part of the investigation. If there's anything to find, I know you'll find it."

Several pairs of disgruntled eyes settled on Shikamaru. Why was he handling the best part of the investigation? When did he become the Fifth's pet?

"Naruto, I want you and Hinata, and your genin partners to visit all the businesses open after hours. I want you to explain the situation, and strongly recommend that they close down before dark. If they won't or can't do it, have them talk to me. If necessary I'll make arrangements for ninja to accompany customers home, but only until a certain time. I don't want everyone staying up all hours waiting around to walk people home. These people have to take some responsibility for their own safety.

Now I want you to especially speak to the theater troupe. I know they won't be able to afford to close down their business in the evening so we'll have to make arrangements there. But I want them to be aware of the dangers. I want to know if they've noticed anything unusual since they've been here. If possible I'd like you to talk to as many individually as possible. I want your impressions of these strangers. I'd prefer our attacker to be a stranger rather than one of our villagers.

I'd also like you to visit that religious order that's staying here. The Order of the Way of the Horse. Talk to them individually as well. Ask them similar questions. Get a feel for them. Share your information with Shikamaru this afternoon when you all report back here. He can reinterview them if he deems it necessary."

This time the disgruntled eyes were on Naruto. Why did he rate such a plum assignment? What did he know about investigative procedures? Was it only because they were on the best part of the guard duty rotation that they were chosen to perform this investigation? Or was there something else involved? Was he the Fifth's pet, too?

"Alright everyone, get going. Good luck And please—find something, anything. We need a break here."

They were all uncomfortably aware that the Fifth stood still and watched them as they left the room. This circumstance forestalled any complaining, razing, or discussion of their missions until they had quit the building. It wasn't until they were outside that it started.

"What's that all about, Shikamaru—_If there's anything to find, I know you'll find it_?" Kiba demanded. "When did you become _special_?"

He shrugged. "The Fifth often relies on me for my analytical skills. That's all. Believe _me_, I rather have easy guard duty like you."

"What do you mean by that? It wasn't my choice. Tell him, Shino. We can handle investigations, too. We aren't eager to take on the easy jobs," he argued. He was feeling combative. It felt like every one else was getting all the breaks in life. Nothing seemed to be going his way lately.

"Unless she altered the duty schedule, I suppose it makes sense that Shikamaru's team should handle the majority of the investigation today," Shino responded to Kiba's plea with his usual rational demeanor.

"Damn it, Shino! Even you're not on my side!" Kiba exclaimed in disgust.

"Kiba, I want you to relieve Neji on the front gate," Sakura ordered to forestall further unproductive grousing. She didn't completely agree with Tsunade's reasoning either, but she would follow orders—and argue about it later. "Shino, you relieve him in two hours. Ino will relieve you after two hours. I'll relieve Ino, and we'll start again until our evening guard duty begins. Kiba once you've completed your duty at the front gate you can join me at the hotel to collect the information from the tourists that the Hokage requested."

"Fine. C'mon, Izumi," he said grudgingly, and motioned to his genin partner. At least, he'd have some involvement in the investigation. Maybe he'd find something Shikamaru's team couldn't. With that pleasant thought in his mind, he put his hands in his pockets, and strode off. He'd forgotten all about that business about Naruto's girlfriend before the meeting. He'd wanted to hear what Naruto had to say hoping he'd try to squirm out of admitting his relationship to Hinata in front of the group. That would have convinced her that he wasn't serious. Instead, his mind was on his dissatisfaction at being stuck with just guard duty for the day, and how he could overcome it.

Unfortunately, some of the others hadn't forgotten the conversation before the meeting.

"Naruto, before you leave—what was that about you having a girlfriend?" Sakura asked. She couldn't contain her curiosity until she saw him again. She had to know now.

"Yeah, Naruto, what _was_ that about?" Shikamaru asked innocently.

"Say it ain't so," Choji added with a twinkle in his eye.

Naruto sighed in resignation. He was hoping they'd forgotten about that after everything the Fifth had said. He looked around. Even Shino was looking at him inquiringly. Konohamaru looked at him apologetically. Apparently, he'd cooled off during the meeting. Shikamaru and Choji were practically smirking. After all the teasing he'd endured on their mission together, there was no chance that they didn't at least suspect something.

"Don't we have more important things to do?" he stalled.

"This will only take a minute. Go on."

Where was Hinata? He looked around, and found her behind him. She looked him straight in the eye, and smiled encouragingly. Even though her face was bright red, apparently, she wanted him to tell the world. Her wish was his command. He turned back towards the group, but behind his back held out his hand to Hinata. When she placed hers in his, and drew up just behind his left shoulder, obscured somewhat by Choji, he was ready to proceed.

"I've got a girlfriend. So what?"

"So what? That's big news!"

"To me maybe, but why to you?"

"I—well—I'm your team mate. Of course, I'd be happy for you to have a girlfriend. I was afraid you were still stuck on me," Sakura gave a little laugh.

"Well, I'm not," he said gruffly.

"So, who is she?"

"Yeah, Naruto, who is she?" Choji echoed, and stood aside slightly to give Hinata a chance to be seen. He grinned down at her.

"Who do you think she is?" Sakura could have picked a quieter time for this rather than putting him on the spot. Of course, it was really Konohamaru who'd started it all. Now he was stuck with making his big announcement here and now. He'd always enjoyed a lot of attention, but even this was a little too much for him. For some reason he didn't want to simply hand the information over to Sakura too easily. Her insistence was making him feel stubborn. He wasn't ashamed of having a girlfriend, but why was she making such a big deal about it? If she wanted the information, she'd just have to work for it.

"He bought her flowers the other day," Ino announced. She'd stood by quietly during all this Naruto baiting. She'd been concentrated on watching Kiba, but once he was gone she stuck around so she wouldn't miss anything interesting. She'd been just as disgruntled as Kiba to be shunted off the real investigation. She had yet to make an impressive mark in the world. It always seemed like Sakura, Naruto, Neji, Lee and Shikamaru were getting all the attention. Why were they so special?

"Flowers? You spent _money_ on her. This _is _serious," Shikamaru teased.

"_Who is she_?" Sakura demanded. She couldn't say why it was so important for her to know. Even though she hadn't wanted it, she'd gotten used to Naruto's devotion. Who could he possibly have found to replace _her_ in his affections?

"Can't you guess? Not you guys," he said quickly, and frowned at Shikamaru and Choji as they opened their mouths. "Let Sakura guess."

She looked at him intently. "I really can't think of anyone who'd—"

"Go out with him? Yeah, I've got that problem, too," grinned Choji.

"It is a puzzle. Even my analytical brain has trouble dealing with this one," Shikamaru added.

"Shut up, you guys! I know you know who it is."

"They do?" Sakura frowned as she looked at those two grinning goof-offs at Naruto's side—or nearly at this side. Hinata was standing between Choji and Naruto barely noticeable. "Lee, do you know?"

"I do not have a clue. I am very surprised myself." Lee knew he should have started for the front gate to give Neji a briefing on the Hokage's meeting, but he wanted to take a proper leave of his fiancé, and her attention was otherwise engaged at the moment. He gave Tenten an apologetic glance, but she seemed just as interested in the proceedings at hand as Sakura.

"I really don't know when you've had the time to get a girlfriend. You've been on one mission after another since you got back to the village a few months ago. Is it someone you met on a mission?"

"Nope."

"Is it someone living outside Konoha?"

"Nope."

"So it's someone from the village?"

"Yeah."

She wracked her brains, but couldn't imagine any female of her acquaintance paired with Naruto. What attractive girl would put up with his antics? He wasn't exactly the most sensitive or romantic guy she knew. Plus, she'd be a hard act to follow. Who could possibly hold his attention? She threw up her hands in defeat. "I give up. Who is it?"

Naruto pulled Hinata completely up beside him while Choji stepped aside to give them space, and threw his arm around her shoulders.

"Hinata, of course," he announced with a _duh_ in his voice.


	17. Ino strikes out

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XVII. Ino strikes out

On the heels of Naruto's announcement, Ino found herself walking towards the front gate. She knew she should be heading home to rest before her shift, but she wanted to share Sakura's reaction with someone. She felt Kiba might be a kindred spirit. If nothing else, it at least gave her something to talk to him about. She was desperate to find a connection—some common ground between them.

She didn't know why she tortured herself by pursing Kiba. He hadn't shown the slightest interest in her, but ever since they'd been temporarily thrown together on the same team, she'd found herself noticing him, thinking about him, wanting to know more about him. She'd never had such an intense reaction to a guy since Sasuke Uchiha left the village.

Of course, she blamed Sakura for the fact that she was so desperately trying to find a guy at all.

She hated that Sakura had gotten engaged first, and to such a hottie—not that she'd paid Lee much attention before, but since he'd begun dating Sakura, she'd noticed plenty. He'd certainly improved with age. He filled out those green, spandex body suits quite nicely now. They didn't seem as weird now that they covered wide shoulders, a broad, lean chest, a washboard stomach, narrow hips, and muscular thighs. Not only had his physique improved, but he'd grown into his face becoming rather handsome as his face had leaned into attractive contours. Besides being easy on the eyes, he seemed totally unaware of his effect on the female of the species. That innocent, modest air was quite beguiling.

He had other appealing qualities as well. He was nice. He was considerate. He was honorable. And he was always exceeding courteous and polite to every woman—kunoichi and non-kunoichi, young or old alike. Being treated like a lady even when you could flatten a guy with one punch was very engaging.

No wonder Sakura had succumbed to his charm. What was not to like? Especially if her only other choice had been Naruto Uzumaki. That number one hyperactive, knuckle-headed ninja was hardly in the same category as Lee. But both of them had been stuck on Sakura since they were kids. At the time, Sakura's affections had been engaged with the same object Ino desired. They'd changed from friends to rivals over night because of it. The nature of their jobs fostered rivalry, too. They'd managed to overcome some of those childhood rivalries, but even now their relationship had never been able to achieve the same pure friendship it had in the beginning. The competitive spirit of the ninja was too strong in them.

Over the years Sakura had given up on her childhood crush, and began to appreciate the ever faithful Lee. Certainly she'd never given Naruto any indication that he stood a chance with her. Ino would never have thought Naruto would stand a chance with any girl. She had never considered Hinata. The bashful, retiring princess of the Hyuga clan was so easy to overlook and forget. Who would have thought that the brashest shinobi in the village would pair up with the shyest kunoichi? Who would have thought that they'd look so right together? Sakura's engagement was bad enough, but it made Ino disgusted to think that even that unlikely couple could make her envious.

Now that Naruto and Hinata had officially announced themselves a couple that made two pairings of the ninja from the magic twelve who went through the chûnin exams together over six years ago. Were there others she didn't yet know about? She listed the remaining seven in her head: Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Neji, Tenten and herself (Sasuke no longer counted). Only two kunoichi left out of the seven.

Tenten hadn't said anything during that teasing out of information between Sakura and Naruto, but she'd seemed just as interested in Naruto's announcement as any of them. Was she cherishing a secret romance? It didn't have to be one of their group. It wouldn't be credible that they'd all pair up among one another. Surely several would find romance outside of the magic twelve? Tenten wasn't close with any of the guys that she knew. Maybe she had someone older, younger or not a ninja that interested her. Could Ino be the only unattached kunoichi in their group? That would be horrible.

Despite her admiration for many of the older kunoichi, she didn't want to be alone and loveless. She wanted a good marriage like her parents—and children. She never thought she'd reach the advanced age of 18 without even a boyfriend. She'd been the prettiest most confident girl in all her classes (she didn't consider Sakura since she'd had absolutely no confidence in her billboard brow). Why hadn't she been the most popular with the boys, too? It just wasn't fair.

But it wasn't only the kunoichi that had been interested in Naruto's love life. Her own old team mates, Shikamaru and Choji had shown an uncommon interest in the romance. They'd teased Naruto not maliciously or immaturely, but almost as if they had relationship experience themselves. But how could that be? There weren't that many suitable females around. She'd have known if her own team mates were involved with someone. But both of them seemed to have more confidence than they'd had only months ago when they were still her regular team mates. What could have happened to make them seem so—so intriguing now?

Whatever caused this new maturity made the pair seem more attractive than ever before in their own way. If only she wasn't already well-acquainted with their many faults and idiosyncrasies, she might have been romantically interested in one of them. Even Choji looked impressive rather than fat since he'd grown to adulthood. But she really couldn't view either of them in that way. Her affections for them could only warm up to sisterly. She simply couldn't think of them in any other light no matter how much they improved. And she knew they only thought of her as their bossy, pert, and arrogant team mate. She wasn't given to lengthy introspection, but she had her unhappy moments of self-doubt. She was often forced to compare herself unfavorably to Sakura. That girl wasn't perfect either, but she did seem to attract the guys. Ino would love to have that ability.

She sighed as she thought of the other single, male ninja from their age group, and considered their possibilities in the romantic arena.

Shino was already spoken for in a family arrangement—besides bugs were just too creepy. Knowing that her boyfriend had a closer relationship with his bugs than he did to her would be too demoralizing. Despite his interestingly covert appearance, Shino was definitely out of the running.

Neji was the next single, shinobi under consideration. She quickly dismissed him as well. He was just too full of himself and unapproachable. Those eyes of his showed no hint of warmth or any other emotion. She'd never know where she stood with him. Naruto didn't seem to be bothered by those mysterious, silvery, Hyuga eyes, but Ino thought them too weird.

She didn't want weird in her life. She wanted someone straight-forward, approachable, and likeable. Her last and best choice was Kiba.

She'd originally been uninterested in him because he'd been part of that slacker group in school that consisted as well of: Shikamaru, Choji and Naruto. They were goof-offs, clowns, and generally unromantic figures in a girl's imagination. Sasuke Uchiha had been the only boy in the class worthy of romantic daydreams, but he'd been totally uninterested in anything except ninjutsu, genjustsu, taijutsu and revenge.

As the slacker group had gotten older, she began to realize that maybe they weren't really as lame as they'd appeared. Over the years, they'd all been put to extreme tests of their abilities, and had demonstrated skills that were truly awesome. Except for experience they were the equivalent of any ninja in Konoha. It was no wonder the Fifth felt confident leaving the village in their hands for this brief time when most of the jônin were absent. They were more than capable of handling even extraordinary circumstances.

Then, of course, Kiba had Akamaru.

Ino really liked animals. All her life she'd had pets of one kind or another. She was always bringing home stray or wounded creatures to nurture much to her parent's complaints. If she hadn't demonstrated an affinity for the family ninja skills, she would have been interested in veterinary science as a career. And she could have been happy with that, although being a shinobi was much more exciting.

So the Kiba/Akamaru team was a real plus in her estimation. Now if only she could convince Kiba that a girl from the Yamanaka clan would be equally as interesting to know and then some.

Once she came within sight of the gate, she slowed her pace to gage how busy he was before she interrupted his work.

Akamaru was sitting at alert beside the guard station. Kiba was talking to his genin partner sitting beside him behind the counter. His partner seemed to be hanging on his words so it either involved instruction or a story. Kiba had a wealth of interesting past missions to draw on for stories to illustrate instructional points. Since they'd all been put into training mode by being partnered with genin, it was most likely something like that. Ino hadn't even noticed her genin partner this morning. She'd had other things on her mind. She hoped the kid showed up on time when they had guard duty.

At any rate, nobody appeared to be entering or leaving Konoha at this time. It would be safe to talk to him.

Ino walked up to Akamaru, and stroked the side of his neck. He'd been aware of her approach, and he allowed her to touch him. He made a little sound of doggie delight at the caress which caused Kiba to turn his head towards them.

"Hey, no tampering with the guards," he said with a mock frown.

"I can't help it. He's so soft and silky," she said stroking him again.

"So you like dogs?" He moved over closer to the other side of Akamaru, and leaned against the counter so he could see her. He'd never had much to do with Ino until they'd become temporary team mates. In his mind, he'd always lumped her together with Sakura. They'd been silly girls with a sillier rivalry over that moody Sasuke kid. He hadn't any time or patience for either girl. Now things were different. Sasuke was gone. Sakura had become the Fifth's protégé, then she'd become engaged to Lee. The girls seemed to be friends now. Ino had no real identifying qualities that he could think of to make her stand out. She looked good. She was friendly. Her family was as old as his. But that was all he really knew about her. He wasn't sure what else to make of her now.

"Of course. Who wouldn't?"

"Lots of people. Especially since Akamaru grew so big. Some people are afraid of him."

"That's a shame. Who could be afraid of this big, cuddly, sweetie?" she raised up on her toes, and scratched Akamaru behind his ear. He really seemed to love that. He bent his head so she could reach his ear much easier. If she wasn't careful, he'd be flopping on the ground to have his belly rubbed. That would really be considered guard tampering.

Kiba watched her caressing of Akamaru, and almost wished he were a dog. He'd love to have a pretty girl stroke behind his ears. Wait! No, he wouldn't. He was interested in Hinata, he had to remind himself—not just any pretty girl.

"So what happened after I left?" he asked. With that reminder of Hinata, he remembered all that stuff about Naruto and his girlfriend. If Sakura, his team leader hadn't ordered him to his post, he would have stayed around to hear the end of it. He wanted the satisfaction of hearing Naruto back out of that one. He expected Naruto to ungracefully back out of it.

Ino shrugged. "Oh, nothing much. Naruto made his announcement then everybody took off."

"Yeah? Who is she?" he asked with deceptive nonchalance.

She gave him a sideways glance. "Don't you know?" After all, Hinata was his team mate.

"No," he said sharply.

"I would have thought you'd have a clue. She's your team mate," she told him pointedly watching for his reaction.

He stared at the ground not giving anything away—yet. "So he told everyone Hinata was his girlfriend?"

"That's right." Ino laughed. "I was totally shocked, but you should have seen Sakura's face. It was priceless. I've never seen her at such a loss. It was more than surprise or shock. She looked totally dumbfounded. She couldn't think of anything to say to them. Gotta go was the best she could manage. Lee was far more gracious and complimentary. He was happy not surprised for them. He's really a class act."

"What about Hinata? How did she look?" he asked impatiently. Who cared about Sakura and Lee's reaction?

"You should know that better than anyone. She was blushing, of course. That girl blushes at everything, doesn't she? But she looked very happy. So did he. They make a cute couple."

"What are you talking about? I don't see the attraction at all," he scowled.

Ino looked at him curiously. Why was he so angry? Didn't he want Hinata happy? Or was it something else that bothered him? "They say opposites attract," she said lightly.

"I would think having things in common would make for a better couple. Hinata and Naruto have absolutely nothing in common. He'll lose patience with her shyness and her blushing. He'll grow bored with her lack of conversation. Her family will never accept him," he grumbled darkly.

"Are you worried about her? Do you think Naruto will dump her?"

"Why not? Isn't he just settling since he can't have Sakura?"

Ino took his doubts about the relationship under serious consideration. She didn't think Naruto was that kind of guy at all. He'd always struck her as honorable and sincere despite his other less admirable qualities like loud, obnoxious and brash. "I think you've got it all wrong, Kiba. Naruto's not like that. I don't think he ever seriously thought Sakura would look twice at him. His crush on her had become a habit from childhood. He hasn't shown any signs of jealousy over Sakura's engagement. No, she's his first real girlfriend. I think Hinata's the real thing for him."

"What do _you _know about it? You're wrong. Totally wrong. She's his rebound girl. He'll dump her as soon as he finds someone better," he told her angrily. "This is just practice for the real thing. He will hurt her."

Ino had been ready to get angry right back at him, but then the realization of where his anger was coming from hit her. She studied at him sadly. Wouldn't you know the first guy she's liked since Sasuke would be already interested in someone else? "You like her, don't you?" she asked carefully. She didn't really want to know, but she had to know.

"Shut up! Mind your own business! Go away! I'm working here," he flushed, and growled at her.

She gave Akamaru one more pat. It wasn't his fault his partner was a thick-headed, jealous, idiot. First Sakura had two guys who liked her, and now Hinata did. Why couldn't even one guy like her? It wasn't fair.

"You don't have to bite my head off, Kiba Inuzuka. Akamaru has better manners than you do." She turned to leave. This had been one big mistake. If only she'd known about his feelings for Hinata, she could have approached him more carefully. But she didn't want to be a rebound girl either.

"Wait! Ino! I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you." he apologized uncomfortably. He had been unconscionably rude. It wasn't her fault that Naruto's announcement hadn't gone his way. It wasn't her fault Naruto had her snowed, too.

"How could you be? I don't mean anything to you," she said matter-of-factly then walked away. She didn't even want to look at him anymore. It made her want to cry, and she wouldn't do that in front of him.

How incredibly disappointing! He'd looked so cute even in his anger. What a shame he was stuck on a girl who was stuck on someone else. There was no point in even trying with him. It would be too humiliating to watch him seethe over it. She didn't want to hear any more about Naruto and Hinata from a jealous idiot. What did he know?

She sighed. Maybe she should check out the older jônin when they returned. Maybe there was a cute, single, attractive ninja a bit older that would be interested in her. As long as he wasn't too old, that would be all right. The guys her age were just too immature. She was through with him—er—them.

* * *

After his big announcement, everyone had high-tailed it out of there so quickly, you'd have thought the Fifth was standing behind them. Naruto had actually looked around to make sure that wasn't the case, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Shikamaru said, "We can't stand around here gossiping any longer. We have work to do. Choji, Etsu, Kiyoshi, follow me. I'll brief you on your duties along the way."

Choji said, "See ya' later, Hinata, Naruto."

Tenten said, "I'm tired. I guess I'll head home."

Shino simply left.

Sakura didn't smile. "Okay. I—ah—better be off myself. Good-bye." She gave them a strange look, before she turned away. "Lee? Are you coming?"

Only Lee had stuck around long enough to offer them more than a vague smile. "I am happy for you both. I will talk to you later, Naruto," he said, before hurrying after Sakura.

Ino didn't leave until after Sakura and Lee, but she smiled widely not at Naruto and Hinata, but at Sakura and Lee as she walked away.

After all that teasing and questioning, Naruto was a bit disappointed by the response following his big announcement. It was completely anticlimactic—a complete letdown. He thought everyone would have been more excited or happy for him than that. He stood still with his arm around Hinata, and watched everyone leave except for their genin. Finally, he removed his arm, and said ruefully to Hinata, "Don't feel too bad about everyone's reaction to our news, Hinata. I guess we just took them by surprise."

"I don't think you were the surprise element, Naruto. I think it was me. No one could picture you with me. They were too polite to say anything," she said unhappily.

He took her hand and squeezed it. "No way. It's got to be the other way around. I'm the one who doesn't rate a great girl like you. Oh well, they'll just have to get used to seeing the two of us together. We aren't going to let their reaction mess us up, are we?"

"No, no, of course not," she told him in surprise, and gripped his hand firmly in return. She didn't care who disapproved. She wouldn't easily give up Naruto—her dream for most of her life. She just didn't want Naruto to feel any doubts about their relationship based on other people's reactions. She was grateful Kiba wasn't here. She didn't know if he'd reveal his true feelings before everyone or whether he reserved that for her alone, but she wouldn't want to put it to the test. She didn't want Naruto hurt by what Kiba would have to say.

"Good. I guess we'd better get on with our job as well. Why don't we spread out and tackle the businesses first? Then we can meet up, and visit the theater and that weird order together. The Fifth seemed more worried about them than anything else so it might be best if we covered them together."

"I agree. Akira and I will take the North end of town."

"Botan and I will take the South. We'll meet back here when we're done. We can have lunch at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar."

She smiled. "Of course we can. You like ramen, don't you, Akira?" she asked her genin. She'd almost forgotten they were there, they'd been so quiet.

"Unh? Yeah." Akira and Botan had tried not to listen in to what their elders had been discussing, but they couldn't help themselves. It had been so fascinating to watch the interactions of older jônin. Maybe his crush on Etsu wasn't so juvenile after all.

The most fascinating part was watching everyone's behavior with Naruto. Everyone knew who Naruto was by reputation if not by acquaintance. He was the most talked about young ninja in the village. Iruka sensei held him up as an example of how even the least academically inclined in the class could still be a first rate ninja. Every other teacher had some story about Naruto personally or that they'd heard to share with their students. From his friendships with the sannin to his pursuit of and by the Akatsuki, the stories were legend.

They'd been relieved after meeting him to find he was just a regular guy. His appearance wasn't impressive at all. It was even hard to believe the stories they'd been told. But after seeing the way everyone just homed in on him, gently teased him, and just seemed to like him, they were still impressed but in a different way.

"C'mon. Let's go, Botan," Naruto said after squeezing Hinata's hand once more.

Botan and Akira exchanged an excited glance before splitting up to join their jônin partners. They could tell their group was the envy of all the others. They had an important mission today. This would be so cool. They couldn't wait to get started on real ninja work.


	18. The thrill of the chase

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XVIII. The thrill of the chase

This was so boring!!!

Botan and Akira exchanged brief impressions of the day's events once they met up again for lunch, and this was very much their mutual opinion of their activities so far.

All they did was talk to people. No fighting. No dead bodies. No excitement. Just talk, and ask questions. What were they supposed to learn from that anyway? How was that ninja work? They wanted to see Hinata and Naruto (especially Naruto) in action. Where was the enemy so they could witness some fancy ninja fighting? This boring stuff wasn't the sort of thing they wanted to learn.

Neither one of them had realized there were so many businesses in Konoha. They hadn't been to even half of the places they were forced to visit in the course of their duties. Restaurant, nightclub, bar, grocery, bank, bakery flower shop, movie theater, clothes shop, furniture store, bookstore, shoe store, weapons store, just to name a few. Some were cool, but most were not. Each one had to be told about the attacks (as if they didn't already know), to be careful (as if they needed to be told that), and to report anything suspicious to the Hokage (they all had suspicions and opinions about someone or something). Then the places open at night had to be warned to close early until the attacker was apprehended.

Those were the interesting stops on their route. Most of the owners of the after regular hours businesses had to add complaints, arguments, or downright refusals to close early on top of curious questions, and personal observations. According to Akira, when this happened Hinata became even more soft-spoken and polite always referring the owners after every complaint to the Hokage. She would leave as quickly as possible not engaging in any further discussion or argument. She explained to Akira that it was better to leave argument to the Hokage. She had the authority and experience to handle their dissention.

According to Botan, under the slightest provocation, Naruto became terse, blunt, and ready to explode. If the person failed to back down, he'd immediately show his anger, offering the choice of a fight or talking to the Hokage. Unfortunately, no one took him up on the offer, so Botan had nothing really exciting to report. Naruto told him that the Hokage shouldn't have to bother with stupid complaints. If those people didn't appreciate the warning then they deserved whatever they got.

After sharing their experiences, Botan and Akira were more impressed by Naruto's diplomacy than Hinata's. Subtlety, tact, and withholding overt displays of power were lost on them. Might seemed more right than politeness to them. It would take a few years before they appreciated the nuances of diplomacy.

Overall, they concluded that practicing chakra control was more exciting than any old investigation. Since they were both new genin, and had very little experience with D class missions, they couldn't wait until they could show off their skills on dangerous missions. However, they were in for a rude awakening when their team leader finally returned to Konoha, and took up their teaching. Since neither one of them was brave enough to voice their complaints aloud, neither Hinata nor Naruto thought to disabuse them of the lack of excitement in their future missions. Instead, they both conscientiously instructed their genin partners as they'd been told to do, explaining their procedures, and the importance of this part of the investigation. This was a difficult concept to instill since their investigation thus far yielded no results. Even Hinata found it difficult to convey enthusiasm for their current work. It was hoped that the afternoon's visits would prove more fruitful.

They hadn't finished their tour of Konoha's businesses until well past noon, so Naruto was feeling especially hungry. His stomach was growling loudly and to any one else embarrassingly, but he was used to it. He laughed just as loudly at himself as well as at Botan and Akira when their stomachs answered back.

His growing hunger might have contributed to the belligerence he'd been able to draw upon so readily for the more uncooperative businesses. Every objection to the Hokage's requests for early closure only lengthened the time until he could finish up, and eat lunch which exacerbated his impatience. Luckily there had only been few open at night businesses in his part of town. Unluckily, the ones he had to deal with were businesses that made most of their income in the nighttime hours. He'd had to visit two bars, and a nightclub. None of them had been happy—to put it mildly—with the news of closing early—not to mention answering the door at such an early hour of the morning. Belligerence was a ready weapon on both sides. However, Naruto had ninjustu on his side, so he'd won the argument every time.

The Ichiraku Ramen Bar was a welcome sight for all parties concerned at the end of this part of the investigation. And it was practically deserted as they entered, so they could immediately find seats.

"I'm treating, so order what you want," Naruto announced magnanimously when they sat down. He enjoyed the expressions of delight on the faces of the two young genin at his largess. He remembered how excited he'd been whenever Iruka had treated him to ramen. It gave him great pleasure to reciprocate that kindness. He even ignored the alarming thought '_What if they had appetites as large as his? This could cost a fortune,_' in the spirit of camaraderie he was feeling with his little team. Besides, his lucky frog wallet was full. He could handle a dozen genin lunches.

Teuchi came over to take their orders, greeting Naruto and Hinata warmly. He'd become quite fond of his most faithful customer over the years. He'd watched him grow up from a defiant, loud-mouthed kid to a confident, talented young man. He always had an irrepressible enthusiasm and determined attitude that was thoroughly contagious. It certainly put him in a better mood whenever he saw Naruto.

He was especially enjoying Naruto's new romance. He'd never seen any chemistry between Naruto and Sakura in the years they'd eaten there. But he saw plenty of it with this sweet, shy, girl Naruto first brought along with him not so long ago. He enjoyed watching them together. They made a very cute couple. He made sure to slip some extra pork in their ramen to help the romance along. Hey, it couldn't hurt.

"Teuchi, you've heard about the attacks, haven't you?" Naruto asked him once they'd all placed their orders. They'd saved the Ichiraku Ramen Bar as their last business visit of the morning since they'd planned to eat there for lunch. "We're talking to all the businesses, and asking them to close early so their customers can get home safely before dark."

"Yeah, I've heard. Everyone has. I've got no problem closing before dark. I don't get a lot of late night business. Too much competition from the fancy restaurants. Lunch to dinner is my busiest time."

"I don't see why they'd be much competition for you. I've eaten at those places a time or two, and they just don't compare to your place, Teuchi. Your ramen is the best I've ever eaten," Naruto told him sincerely. He would have said it was the best food he'd ever eaten, but that was before Hinata started to cook for him. Hinata's yaki soba had replaced ramen's lofty status in his heart. He still loved ramen, but he'd give it up completely if he had to choose ramen over Hinata's cooking. However, he wouldn't tell Teuchi that. He wouldn't want to hurt the guy's feelings.

"Thanks, Naruto. You're my best customer. I'm glad to see you bringing me more business. Catch 'em while they're young, I always say" he said with a wink at the two genin, then he turned to serve the bowls of ramen. "I think you boys will enjoy this," he said placing two heaping bowls in front of them.

After he watched them take a few bites, he leaned on the counter and casually asked in a low voice, "So, Naruto, these attacks—what's the Hokage really think of them? Could they be the work of vampires?"

"Unh? Vampires?" Naruto asked confused by the term, but hardly pausing in his eating. "What are they?"

"Vampires!" Botan and Akira said in hushed voices, and looked at each other in excitement. They knew the stories about vampires. Scary stories had been popular in their group since they were little kids.

"Don't you know what vampires are?" Teuchi's brows raised in surprise. "I thought everyone had heard about vampires. My dad used to tell me stories about 'em. It used to scare the pants off me, let me tell you. You know, another name for 'em is the _undead_," he said it in a spooky voice which caused Botan and Akira to giggle.

Naruto frowned. "Undead? So what? I'm undead. What are you talking about?"

Teuchi laughed along with the young genin. "Naw. You're alive. That's totally different from undead."

Naruto looked perplexed. "I don't get it. Isn't that the same thing?"

"It's from an old tale, Naruto," Hinata explained. She didn't find this amusing. "A very unpleasant, old, horror tale used to frighten children. Vampires are just a myth. They don't really exist," she said firmly. She hadn't believed that as a child, but she was full grown now. She wouldn't be afraid of fairy tales now that she was an adult. Of course, she'd always believed ghosts were unreal, too—until she'd actually met one.

"Is that so? Well, how do you explain the two holes in their neck—teeth marks—and the drained blood—without a drop anywhere except around the wound?" Teuchi demanded. "If that doesn't sound like the work of vampires, I don't know what does."

"Does it? Tell me more about these vampires," Naruto insisted. If those things were evidence of vampires then that sounded exactly like what they were facing. Why hadn't he heard about vampires before?

"Okay, I happen to know a little something about vampires," Teuchi said rubbing his chin. "Of course, I don't know where or how the first vampire came about, but new ones appear when someone's killed by a vampire. They die and then at night they wake up as a vampire, but they're not really alive."

"That's the part I don't get." Naruto shook his head still confused. "How can you be dead and alive at the same time?"

"That's why they're called _undead_. See, they just act alive with a few differences. They only go out at night—the sun's not good for 'em. They don't breathe. They're inhumanly strong. And they drink blood—human blood is their nourishment."

"Is that all?" He still didn't understand undead, but he'd met some really scary ninja in his day. Vampires didn't sound any worse than some of the kekkei genkai abilities he'd faced over the years.

"Well, that's all the stuff I've read about in more than one story. Some stories claim other things—like they sleep in a coffin, they can hypnotize you with their eyes, you can only kill them with a wooden stake in the heart—stuff like that. But, you know, in all the stories, I never heard anything about them leaving people alive. I've only ever read that they usually drain the bodies dry." Teuchi spoke quite knowledgably, but then he'd always loved a good horror story. As soon as he'd heard the rumors in the market that morning, he'd hurried home and gotten out a few old books to reread the parts about vampires.

"Why haven't I heard about vampires before?" He still couldn't understand why he'd missed hearing about this. Maybe it was covered in school on a day he'd cut classes. From what Teuchi said it seemed so obvious that they had to be dealing with vampires.

"It's just a story, Naruto," Hinata explained patiently. "These attacks can't really be caused by vampires. Vampires don't exist." She seemed to be the only voice of reason in this conversation—and of course, nobody was listening.

"Maybe they're just rare," Teuchi suggested. "If there were too many of 'em we'd all be dropping like flies."

"No, it's simply because they're not real. You're not spreading these rumors, are you?" she asked Teuchi in a troubled voice. It was _not_ good that these sorts of rumors were starting, but it wasn't unexpected. Rumors always filled in the blanks where facts were lacking—even totally preposterous, incredibly unfounded rumors.

"Hey, I heard it at the market. A lot of people were talking about it. I didn't think of it myself, but once the idea was mentioned everyone thought it fit."

Hinata had another troubling thought. "I wonder how everyone heard about the nature of these attacks—and so quickly. The Fifth isn't making that public knowledge until she has more information."

"I wouldn't know anything about that. I'm just telling you what I heard. So is it really true? Is that how they were attacked?"

"Teuchi, I really can't discuss this with you," Hinata warned. "Please don't encourage these rumors. When we have something to report, all the villagers will be informed. In the meantime, please, be careful."

"Hey, that's why I've got no problem closing up before dark. I don't want to become vampire food—if it's vampires causing this."

"Vampires, eh?" Naruto said thoughtfully. "Why didn't the Fifth tell us about this?"

Hinata stifled a sigh. "It's just a story, Naruto—a fairy tale, a fable, a myth, a legend. It's not real," she explained again. Once she gave it some thought, she wasn't really surprised that Naruto hadn't heard the stories. He hadn't been raised with in a family that would read to him, and he didn't like books very much. There were probably a lot of tales he'd never heard—much more pleasant then vampire stories. She wondered if he'd be interested in reading them with her some time.

"Why couldn't they be real? That would certainly explain why these attacks are so strange and unrelated?" Naruto argued. It was the neatest explanation he'd heard yet for these attacks.

"I don't know why these attacks are so strange, but I've never heard of any actual vampires being reported. I'm sure the Hokage has thought of this. It must be someone imitating vampire attacks," she reasoned.

"Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. Maybe just to scare us. Nobody's actually been killed."

"Yet."

"Don't say that." She almost shuddered. She remembered her nursemaid telling her the story of vampires when she was a child. For some reason, her nursemaid was very fond of telling gruesome, supernatural, and horrifying stories to little Hinata. She'd tried to tell her father about it, but he was impatient with her fears about unreal things. He just told her that her worries were childish and foolish. She was so grateful when she grew too old for a nursemaid.

"I guess we'd better report this rumor to the Fifth after we pay our last two visits," he suggested.

"Yes, she'll want to hear about this," Hinata agreed. "If only to put a stop to such foolish rumors."

Botan and Akira looked at each other with excitement again, and mouthed "Vampires," to each other. _Now_ this investigation was starting to get really good.

* * *

"Let's talk to those monks first," Naruto suggested as they left Ichiraku's.

"Okay," Hinata agreed then hesitated. Was she being too agreeable? Would Naruto become bored with her because she agreed with him about everything? She still couldn't get over the reactions of all their friends that morning. She had to be the element in the equation that had them all astonished after Naruto's announcement. It _was_ really crazy to think of her with Naruto. They were total opposites. She'd begin to bore him in no time. She had to assert herself more. She didn't want to be exactly like Sakura, but she needed to make her presence known more often. No one had thought of her at all when they'd been considering girlfriend's for Naruto. If it wasn't so expected, it would have been humiliating.

"There are fewer people in the order than in the theater group. I think saving the biggest group for last is the best choice," she reasoned aloud. She couldn't see any reason to disagree, and she wouldn't do so just for the sake of argument. She'd just have to wait for a better opportunity to assert herself.

He grinned at her. He'd watched her debating his decision, and wondered if she were just agreeing with him because she was so nice. He liked the fact that she agreed with him. He liked the feeling of support and companionship, but not if she didn't mean it. "I'm glad you agree with me, and I like your reasoning, but if you have a real preference I wouldn't mind."

She shook her head. "I really don't."

He wanted to take her hand, but since they were at work, he didn't think it would be proper so he checked the impulse. "It's okay if you don't agree with me all the time, Hinata. I don't mind."

"What if I do?" she asked anxiously.

"Agree with me all the time? That's okay, too. I get in enough arguments with everyone else. I don't want to argue with you just to argue. If I have a strong feeling about something I'll voice it, but if your feeling is stronger, I'm willing to trust you."

"Really?" She searched his face to read his sincerity.

"Sure. It's been a hard lesson, but I've learned to do that on my team. I think being part of a couple is pretty much the same sort of thing—only with better fringe benefits," he teased.

She blushed. "I promise to tell you if I disagree with your choice."

"Good. I want you to be comfortable enough with me to be honest."

"I am. I just haven't found anything to disagree with."

"Then you're the only one in the world," he said ruefully.

"I think they just like to tease you."

"Why? Because I'm so easy to rile?"

She smiled. "That could be the reason. You are very responsive to every comment."

"Is that a bad thing? Should I practice being more aloof?" Aloof. Could he really do that? Who did he know that did aloof? There was Neji. He scrunched up his face at the thought. Neji was a good ninja, but he sure didn't want to be like him. There was Sai. He didn't like Sai, so he sure as hell didn't want to be like him. Then there was Sasuke. His brand of aloof certainly attracted the girls, but now knowing what was behind it, he didn't want to be like Sasuke either. He liked being connected to people, and as many as possible. Maybe aloof wasn't for him.

"Please, don't change. I like you just the way you are," Hinata said softly.

He couldn't help himself, he grabbed her hand this time. "You do? Good, because I like you just the way you are, too."

She smiled shyly back at him, and held his hand right back instead of allowing it to rest passively within his grasp.

They completely forgot about the genin trailing behind them as they continued to walk slowly towards the house the monks were supposedly staying, clasped hands swinging between them, and with the same fatuous smile reflected on their faces.


	19. The Order of the Way of the Horse

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XIX. The Order of the Way of the Horse

Naruto could have kept on walking forever, holding Hinata's hand, and smiling into her beautiful, silver eyes. He'd totally forgotten the monks, the genin trailing behind them—every serious thing in the world except Hinata. However, the object of his affections had not allowed herself to be so totally lost to reality despite the near dream perfection of the moment. In the midst of their leisurely, and what he considered to be aimless, walk, she suddenly stopped, turned and tugged on his hand. He'd been completely unaware of her gentle guidance in the direction they needed to go in the next step of their investigation.

"Unh? What?" he asked coming to a halt, his body a few steps ahead of her, but with his hand still firmly in her possession.

"We've got to go this way," she insisted softly.

"We do?"

She nodded her head. "Remember? The monks? They're renting a house on the other side of the park," she told him.

"Monks? Oh, yeah, right, monks," he said sheepishly. "I forgot all about those guys. How did you know where to find them? I never thought to ask about that."

She smiled shyly. "I realized after we'd left the complex that we'd failed to discover where they were lodging. I asked around while I was talking to people this morning so we wouldn't have to go back to the complex to find out."

"That was wonderful thinking, Hinata," he said with admiration. "You think of all those little details I tend to forget. We make a fantastic team." He stood beaming at her, and gently squeezing her hand.

She flushed under his praise. If only they were alone so she could fully bask in the sunshine of his attention. She'd allowed a certain amount of unprofessionalism to creep into their journey, because—well, she just couldn't help herself. Anytime or place Naruto wanted to be sweet and attentive, how could she say no? But unfortunately she had to be the voice of reason since her beloved seemed lost to all reason. "I think so, too, Naruto, but we're actually a team of four just now," she agreed nodding her head towards the genin behind them.

"Hinata, what—oh, yeah, I forgot about them, too." He reddened, and dropped her hand as if it were a hot potato. He'd thoroughly forgotten their mission and the genin accompanying them. What kind of example was he setting for his temporary protégés? Not one the Fifth would want anyone else to follow, and if she heard about it, she might not allow Hinata to be with him on the same team ever again. He'd have to find some way to smooth this over. He raised his hand up to his face to ostensibly scratch his nose, but in actuality to peer surreptitiously at the genin from behind his hand.

With great relief, he saw that they weren't paying any attention to the romantic antics of their elders. Instead they were looking intently at the woods in the park.

"That's where the first body was found," Botan said in hushed tones.

"Yeah," Akira responded just as softly. "I wonder if the vampire hangs out in those woods."

"Maybe it's not safe in there even in the day time."

"It could be dark enough in the middle—maybe in a cave or something for vampires to hang out during the day."

"Hey, that guy wasn't just a body. He was alive when we found him. Nobody's been killed yet," Naruto interrupted their musings. "I don't know of any caves in those woods—and I've explored them thoroughly since before I was your age."

"When _you_ found him?" Two inquisitive pairs of eyes turned sharply towards him, as they honed in on the most important part of his speech.

"That's right. Hinata and I found the first guy. You want to see where we found him?" Everyone else already knew, so it couldn't hurt for these two genin to know about it, too.

"Yeah!"

"Cool!"

They left the path, and walked into the woods along the path Naruto and Hinata had taken the night of their first date. The group paused on the way through the woods to admire the sight where the first attack victim was found. Botan and Akira had to hear all the details, and examine the area so their trek through the woods took longer than intended. Naruto tried to make the story sound scary as he gave them the atmospheric background of the dark, dark night, the eerily, silent woods, then the low spooky moan of the victim. It was all true, and based on some of the feelings he'd had that night, but under the warm, light of the sun, it lost some of its terror. However, Botan and Akira seemed duly impressed by the eyewitness account. If only there'd been gobs of blood lying around, they'd have been really awed by the tale. Of course, they'd probably have been leery of walking through the park for years to come if they could have seen something gross or gruesome left behind.

Finally, it was Hinata who managed to bring the trio back to the realities of their current mission, and get their feet moving in the right direction. She really didn't understand this fascination with vampires. She'd told them several times that vampires were only a myth. Still, they insisted on attributing the attacks to vampires—all three of them. She finally decided it must be a guy thing to seek the most gruesome conclusion possible from examining all available evidence. She certainly had no trouble putting vampires where they belonged—between the pages of a book.

Once they'd cut through the woods, Hinata indicated the monk's present lodgings, and Naruto brought the group into a huddle so he could give them the game plan. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he had been thinking about their approach to the monks, but dismissed the idea of treating them any differently then he had anyone else that day. He'd ask the questions, and they'd give the answer no ifs, and, or buts. Because if they didn't—well, since he was sharing the questioning with Hinata, he probably couldn't use physical threats. She wouldn't like it. The Fifth probably wouldn't want him fighting with visitors without sufficient provocation either. He'd just have to hope they were cooperative. He'd just have to keep calm, cool, and collected. He could do that—maybe.

He put his hands on the genin's shoulders, and gave them their instructions.

"Okay, guys. Hinata and I will do all the questioning. I want you two to casually look around, play attention, make note of anything odd or unusual, and listen to the questions. If you two have any observations or questions that we've missed and should be asked whisper them to Hinata. She'll use her judgment on whether to ask the questions. Otherwise, save your observations until after the interview. We can discuss them before we meet up with Shikamaru at the ninja complex later. Okay? Have you all got that? Hinata, do you have anything to add? No? Good. Let's get started." He led the way, and knocked at the door.

There was no response.

He knocked again—louder and longer then he put his ear to the door to listen.

"I hear someone moving around and talking," he said, and straightened up away from the door so he wouldn't be caught in that awkward, nosey position. Still, no one opened the door.

He sighed in exasperation, and was just about to knock again, when the door finally opened. A sleepy-eyed monk stood in the shadows of the doorway frowned at them from the darkened interior. His robes looked wrinkled and disheveled as if he'd slept in them. If he'd had any hair it would probably have looked bedraggled, too.

"What do you want?" he asked in a grumpy, raspy voice. He used his body to block the doorway so they couldn't see around him into the house through the narrow opening of the door.

"We're ninja with the task force investigating the recent attacks on our citizens. We'd like a few words with you," Naruto told them in his blunt, official voice.

"What attacks? I thought just one guy was attacked," he yawned, and scratched his head.

"Haven't you heard? Everyone else in the village seems to know about it. There were two more attacks last night," he asked in mock surprise.

"No, I haven't. I just got up. I haven't been out of the house today," he muttered defensively.

Naruto looked up at the sun. "It's already early afternoon. You do sleep late. Are the rest of your order also sleeping in?" he asked pointedly.

"What business is that of yours?" His tone became less defensive and more aggressive.

For the first time the monk's eyes met Naruto's. There was such a sly, malevolent gleam in his eyes that Naruto felt taken aback it was so unexpected. Almost immediately, the monk looked down, and the moment was lost, but it left Naruto feeling suspicious as well as on his guard. If these monks turned out not to be the attackers then Naruto felt certain they had another unsavory agenda that had nothing to do with animal welfare.

"Everyone in Konoha is our business. I'd advise you to answer our questions without causing any trouble." Naruto didn't offer the word please. He had a perfect right to ask his questions, and he expected answers without making nice.

"Please, we must ask because you're relative strangers here," Hinata added the politeness that Naruto had forsaken. "We're questioning all visitors in Konoha. You haven't been singled out."

Either Hinata's soft, gentle voice or Naruto's veiled threats caused the monk to pause in his aggressive stance, because his voice lost its hostility. "Yeah, okay, that's right, we've all been sleeping. We usually stay up late, and sleep in."

Hinata answered before Naruto could say anything else deliberately provocative. It was more important to acquire answers than to argue their authority. Surely, Naruto could understand that, and forgive her interruption? "We'd really like to talk to all of you at one time. Could we, please, do that now?"

"Or would you like to come down to the ninja complex with us, and talk to the Hokage?" Naruto couldn't help adding. It was his belief that this group would respond better to vinegar than honey.

The monk frowned, but gave no other indication to his thoughts. He looked back over his shoulder. "Wait a minute," he said abruptly then shut the door sharply in their faces.

"Damn! I should have put my foot in the door," Naruto growled. "You don't think they're trying to get away, do you?" he asked Hinata. "You were too nice to them. We should have just muscled in right away instead of giving them time to think." He leaned against the door to listen. He heard moving around, and voices, but nothing sounded rushed or urgent.

"Maybe they're tidying up the room, before we come in," she suggested. "It's what I would do if I had surprise visitors."

"Guy's don't think of stuff like that. More likely they're hiding incriminating evidence."

"He really did look as if he'd just woken up. Maybe the others were still abed. What evidence could they be hiding?"

"I don't know. A weapon? Bloody clothes?"

"Who would leave a just weapon lying around? Would we even recognize the sort of weapon that could make those particular wounds?" Hinata reasoned. "I think if there was enough blood to splatter on their clothes it would have splattered on the victims, too. There was nothing on the victim's clothes."

"Maybe they cleaned it up with their clothes." Naruto wasn't particularly sold on his conjecture. He just threw it out there for speculation while they were waiting. He knew Hinata would make quick work of any faulty reasoning.

"You can't sop up blood like you would water. It would be impossible to remove blood evidence from the victims without removing their clothes."

He shrugged. "Maybe that's what they did. Maybe that's what they're hiding."

She opened her mouth then closed it. Here she was disagreeing with Naruto! Hinata felt some trepidation and thrill at the same time. She studied his face, but he didn't seem angered by her arguments. His attention was mostly on the door he was trying to listen through. Before she could voice any more opinions, he straightened up. "I think someone's coming."

The door opened, and the monk from before stood there. "Come in. We're ready to talk to you," he said gruffly. He gestured for them to enter the house.

The large front room was practically bare except for the tatami mats covering the floor, and the other four monks sitting cross-legged upon them. The house was small for five guys to live in. There couldn't be much more to it except for a bathroom, kitchen, and maybe a small bedroom. That meant some of them had slept in the large room.

Any evidence of the monks using the room for sleep or anything else was no where around. Naruto still wondered if they'd been trying to hide something rather than merely been waking up. He didn't have a good reason to search the place, so the idea would remain speculation unless they learned something from their meeting today to give him cause for a search.

"I am Yuu Higa," the older monk sitting at the far end of the room said authoritatively as they entered. His hands were tucked within his oversize sleeves. His robe looked slept in, too. "What is it you wish of us?"

"We've been sent here by the Hokage to question all strangers. There have been three attacks in the village, so we're gathering information on the visitors here." Naruto announced as his team was left standing by the door while the monk who'd shown them in went to sit with his brethren. Now that he was inside the house, he had no other sense of ill-will from the monks, but none of the met his eyes. Even the leader of the group looked somewhere over his shoulder, and not directly in his eyes. That was definitely a suspicious sign.

"We would appreciate your cooperation," Hinata added.

"We've attacked no one. We're a peaceful order. We wouldn't hurt beast or man," the head monk asserted firmly.

"We've only got your word for that," Naruto argued.

"Our word is our bond. It can not be easily broken."

"We will accept your word for the time being," Hinata interposed. Naruto was behaving outrageously. If she didn't go against her usual shyness and intercede there could be a fight. When he wanted to Naruto could try the patience of a saint. That would not advance their mission's goals in any way. Naruto had good instincts, and apparently he'd taken an instant dislike to this group. She trusted his instincts, but the Fifth wouldn't buy that reasoning for harassing apparently innocent visitors. It would have to be her job to see that this interview was completed without blood shed.

"How long have you been in Konoha?" Naruto dropped his offensive line since Hinata was against it, and began his routine questioning.

"Three weeks."

"How long do you intend to stay?"

"Our plans are not firm. We are studying the possibility of opening an arm of our order in this village. We could be here many months, many weeks or only days if we deem this area inhospitable to our beliefs."

"Where do you come from?" Naruto continued to shoot out the usual questions.

"Our order was founded in the Rice Country. We have a monastery there. Missionaries have been sent into all the other countries to investigate the possibilities of establishing more monasteries."

"What is your order about anyway?"

Yuu Higa continued to field all the questions while his brothers sat silently around him. "It is the contention of our founder Brother Masahiro, that animals and humans should live harmoniously together in this world. We believe that all creatures capable of suffering should be treated with respect. We do not eat the flesh of our fellow creatures. Nor do we kill to wear their skin on ours. Nor do we ask them to bear burdens that we would not bear ourselves. Creatures of the air, land, and sea are our brothers. That is our creed."

Naruto was skeptical, but there was no point in arguing. He'd heard all he wanted to about their order. "I saw you at the theater the other night when you stopped the dog act from performing. You spoiled a rather special night for me. I was looking forward to seeing that show. Those dogs didn't seem to be ill-treated to me. They didn't start barking and whining until you blew that whistle of yours."

"The whistle does no harm to the dogs. It's merely pitched for their ears only. It was our understanding that punishment was a form of the discipline in training those poor dogs. We could not see those actors enjoying the fruits of their labor under those conditions."

"They claimed not to use punishment in training. Have you been able to prove them wrong?"

"No, we haven't. But we're keeping that acting troupe under our scrutiny. If there is any evidence to discover, we will discover it."

Naruto looked at Hinata. He couldn't think of anything else to ask since they'd already claimed to know nothing of the attacks. The belligerence they'd met at the front door was gone. It could possibly be attributed to sleepiness, and a sudden awakening, not guilt or something uglier as he'd first thought at.

"Have you discovered any converts for your order in Konoha?" she asked since Naruto had yield her the floor.

"Not thus far, but it does not happen over night. We intend to speak with anyone we meet who use animals for their own ends. This may take some time."

"We want to advise you to be careful when you go out at night. Never travel alone. If possible, don't go out at all," she warned. "It may not be safe."

"But we must! We're making a study of nocturnal creatures. We can not have our studies interrupted."

"What creatures?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Creatures that are active a night. Owls, foxes, badgers, bats, to name a few."

"Is that why you're sleeping so late? You stay out studying these animals?"

"Of course. Why else would we be abroad at night? Certainly not to attack unsuspecting villagers, if that's what you intend to imply?" Finally, the head monk was showing a little emotion.

"Don't you think it's a little dangerous to do that right now?"

"We never go abroad alone. We travel in twos or threes. I think we should be safe from attack by taking ordinary precautions."

"It might be better if you curtailed this research until we capture the attacker," Hinata suggested.

"Don't worry about us, young woman. We'll be careful."

Naruto looked over the group sitting calmly on the floor mats. They didn't appear at all interested, shocked, or frightened by the idea of a serial attacker in the village. That seemed pretty suspicious to him. He wondered if Shikamaru would feel the same way.

"You've been warned. That's all we have to ask you today. If we have any other questions, someone will come around at a later time," he concluded the interview after Hinata nodded her agreement.

"Fine. Good-day to you. Mizuki, see them out."

The monk who'd answered the door to them earlier, now ushered them out the door.

Once they'd walked far enough away from the house, Naruto asked, "What did you think of that?"

He was speaking to Hinata, but Botan answered. "Maybe they're vampires. That's why they sleep all day and go out at night."

"Yeah, and they made up some excuse so they had a good reason to go out at night," Akira agreed.

Naruto rubbed his chin. "Good point, but I think at least one of them would have had to go out during the day. The markets close before dark. They would probably have only been able to rent their house during the day. So they all couldn't be vampires."

"Maybe the others are the vampire's servants."

"Yeah, the old one doing all the talking. He's probably the vampire."

At this point, Hinata was exasperated with the entire group. So exasperated that she couldn't maintain her silence any longer. Placing her hands on her hips as she'd seen countless women do when they were provoked by the men in their lives, she gazed sternly at her team mates. "I don't want to hear any more about vampires! Let's discuss this thing sensibly. Until all evidence proves otherwise, I believe vampires do not exist. We will refer to the attacker as _the attacker_ and not _the vampire_. Is that clear?" she asked firmly.

The three males in her team, looked at her in shock. None of them had ever heard that tone of voice come out of the shy, quiet, Hinata. She sounded very like somebody's mother or at the very least—the Fifth.

"Yes, ma'am," Botan and Akira said together.

"_Yes, ma'am_," Naruto followed smartly after them. He grinned at her. This was a side of Hinata he found very interesting.

She blushed and backed down immediately. "I'm sorry. But really, let's not consider the vampire question until we've spoken with Shikamaru and the Hokage. These attacks could be perpetrated by someone imitating a vampire, so if there isn't a real vampire involved than those restrictions such as no sunlight, don't apply. We mustn't make assumptions. We don't have enough facts yet."

"I see your point. Do you guys get it? No more vampire talk. Okay?"

"Yeah," they both reluctantly agreed. Vampires would have been so cool.

"Good. Did you guys have anything else to add?"

They shook their heads. As far as they could tell there hadn't been anything to observe. There had been nothing in that room except monks, and the monks didn't do anything weird. Naruto and Hinata asked all the questions they could think of. Since vampires were out, they had nothing else to contribute.

"No? Do you have anything to add, Hinata?"

"Nothing significant. I'll wait until we report to Shikamaru. All I have are impressions."

"Yeah, me, too. I think those guys are up to something. I just don't know what."

"I think you may be right, but we have nothing concrete to report."

"No, but they bear watching. Okay then let's get on with the last part of our assignment. You do know where the acting troupe is staying, don't you, Hinata?" he asked grinning.

She smiled back. "Yes. I asked about them today, also."

"I figured as much. Good work. C'mon team. Let's follow, Hinata," he announced, but actually walked beside her as she led the way. "Remind me, never to make you angry again," he said softly to her as the genin once more trailed behind them.

"I wasn't angry—not really."

"You could have fooled me. I've never heard that tone from you before."

She flushed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I kinda of liked you getting all tough with us. We _were_ being stupid. If you say vampires don't exist, I won't talk about them again. I won't encourage Botan or Akira to talk about them, either. Or Teuchi. No more vampires. Okay?"

"Okay," she agreed. She should have been satisfied with that, but still she was troubled. What if she were wrong? What if one of her childhood terrors was real after all? Stranger things have been known to happen. How would they know for sure? Were the legends true or embellished? How does one fight a supernatural being? She hoped they wouldn't be called upon to find out. She'd much rather fight a horrible human than a horrible inhuman. She didn't want to face a blood drinking, undead creature of nightmares—her childhood nightmares.


	20. Iseki Acting Troup: a genin's eye view

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XX. The Iseki Acting Troupe : a genin's eye view

_Now_ this mission was getting sorta interesting.

I can't believe how cool Naruto is. Man, when he was questioning those monks, I thought for sure they'd confess. He was so harsh when he said 'Everyone in Konoha is our business.' It was awesome.

Those guys sure looked guilty from the get go. That head monk acted like he was so all important, but he looked real shifty eyed. As a matter of fact, none of those other monks would look us in the eyes either—oh yeah, except that guy at the door did a little bit. He seemed real mean at first then he backed down real quick when Naruto got tough with him. Even that head monk didn't sound so all-fire important when Naruto was questioning him. He sounded real lame when he was talking about his order. I didn't get what he said at all. He didn't explain it very good. I thought about asking him to explain again, but he was boring. I figured I'd ask Lady Hinata later if I still wanted to know. She probably got it. She's pretty smart.

What made me maddest was they didn't even say nothing to Botan and me or look at us or anything. It was like we weren't even there. They thought we were just kids. They didn't' care why we were there. They had no clue we were ninja in-training. That we were important, too. They had no call to just ignore us like that. I bet Naruto wouldn't let himself be ignored. He would have been right in their faces. But Botan and I didn't want to screw up this mission so we stayed good and quiet—but we didn't like it.

Man, I hope they're vampires—I mean, bad guys, 'cause I don't like any of 'em.

I gotta remember that Lady Hinata doesn't like us talking about vampires any more. I don't get why. Vampires could be real. They could! They didn't have to be just in stories. Some stories were true. It would be so cool if vampires were real—hey, but if not vampires maybe they were werewolves. That would be cool, too. Later after we're done, I gotta ask Botan what he thinks about werewolves. I can't remember if the moon was full last night. It would have to be full for it to be werewolves. That's what the stories say. I wonder if Lady Hinata is against werewolves, too.

I was really mad at first when Botan got picked to partner Naruto. I knew more about Naruto than Botan did. I've seen him around the village a lot. Everybody knows who he is. He wears that bright orange jacket. He's kinda noisy—not in a bad way. You can't miss him. He's even got the nerve to argue with the Fifth. I saw him do it one time when my dad took me to the ninja complex. Even my dad doesn't argue with the Fifth. My dad just shook his head and said 'That Uzumaki kid can get away with murder.' I know he didn't mean anything real bad by that. It's what my dad calls an _expression_. Anyway, my dad said hi to him later. And Naruto said hi back. He smiled at me, and said hi to me, too. Lots of ninja just ignore me, but Naruto didn't. He doesn't think he's too good to talk to a genin or lower. I like that about him.

Of course, Lady Hinata's nice, too. It's okay that she got mad at us. She was sorry right away afterwards, so I'll try not to think about vampires again—unless the Fifth says it's a vampire. Even Lady Hinata wouldn't yell at the Fifth about vampires if she says they're real. I wonder why Lady Hinata doesn't want to talk about vampires. Vampires would be real cool.

She's okay, Lady Hinata, is. I never met anyone with a kekkei genkai before. That's so cool being born with a skill instead of having to learn it. My family jutsu's hard to learn. I've seen my dad do it lots of times, but I'm having trouble with the whole thing. It's like holding the weapons with your mind instead of your hand and guiding them where you want them to go. It only works with metal objects 'cause my dad said he can't just sit still and bring things to him whenever he wants to. It has to be metal, and it's better if it's already in motion. He says in a fight he tries to get his enemy to throw weapons at him so he can work the jutsu better. I still don't get it very good. I accidently stabbed Botan with a kunai once. I was just trying to hit the tree behind him, but I lost control of it. Now I'm careful to practice by myself until I get the hang of the whole thing. I hope it kicks in soon. I feel kinda lame compared to some of the other genin who graduated in the same class as us.

Lady Hinata 's a really quiet and shy lady. I thought 'How can someone so lady-like be a kunoichi?' But everybody treats her just like a real shinobi so she's got to be good. Anyway, I've heard stuff about her cousin Neji Hyuga, and how he uses that same kekkei genkai. He might be a cool ninja, but he really acts like he's too good to say hi to anybody. He's on a good team, though. If I hadn't been picked for Naruto's team, I wouldn't have minded being on Neji's team with Rock Lee. Anyway, so if Lady Hinata's anything like Neji then she's got to be pretty good in a pinch. I can't wait for a real fight so I can see Naruto and Lady Hinata in action. I hope we see some action soon. It would be awesome.

And wow, they're boyfriend/girlfriend!

Botan and I laughed (not real loud) when they held hands in front of us, but they didn't care. That is so cool. I wish I could do that with a girl, but I don't really like anyone especially yet. Of course, I could like Etsu. She's our usual team mate, but I think she likes Botan. She thinks of me like just Botan's sidekick. She ignores me whenever Botan's around. But I don't care. Botan's my best friend. We've been best friends forever. I wouldn't let some girl break up our friendship. Besides, he's not really interested in her. He told me he likes older women. He thinks Sakura Haruno is the most awesome babe. She's Naruto's usual team mate. I wonder why she and Naruto aren't together instead of him and Lady Hinata? They're kinda alike. They both get a lot of attention by just being themselves. Maybe they're too much alike. Maybe two people who like a lot of attention can't be a couple because somebody gets more attention then somebody else. Lady Hinata doesn't need all that attention so Naruto can have it when they're together. That sounds right. Anyway, I like Lady Hinata a lot. She's nice. I'm glad she's Naruto's girlfriend—but, man, Sakura is hot.

It's cool that Naruto asks our opinion about stuff. I don't really know what to think, but I like being asked. I wish I could see something or discover something that would be really important. When we were at the monk's house, I looked and looked around, but there was nothing to see. The only thing there was monks. They didn't have anything else lying around that looked suspicious. I wonder if having no stuff is suspicious. Would monks have stuff? Aren't they like some religious group? Don't religious people usually give all their stuff away? I don't really know. I'll have to ask my dad when he gets back. He's one of the ninja sent out on the Fifth's big mission. I wonder how he's doing. I sure hope he's okay. Mom gets upset when my dad comes home hurt.

Now we're going to see the actors. I'm looking forward to that.

Botan and I went twice to a matinee of their show. It was awesome. Especially the magician. He _really_ made things appear and disappear. I don't get how he did it. I asked my mom, but she said if we knew the trick then it wouldn't be as cool any more. I guess that's true, but I still want to know how he does it. It would be awesome to be a magician if I could do those tricks.

I wonder if Naruto will be as tough with them as he was with the monks. I wonder how he decides who to be tough with. Botan said he wasn't tough with everyone. Only the people that got tough with him. Is that something we'll learn later?

I think Lady Hinata would be polite with everybody. I don't think she could be mean even if someone deserves it. But she had to be in fights to get to be a jônin, so she must be able to get mean sometimes. It would really be interesting to see her fight. I can't imagine her hurting anybody. I wonder if we ever will.

* * *

The manager opened the door when Naruto knocked. I didn't know he was the manager but he said, "I'm Leiko Iseki, the manager of the Iseki Acting Troupe. How may I be of service?"

He looked older in person than he did on stage. He introduced all the acts during the show. He had on bright blue clothes. I thought he was younger, but now he had tired black circles under his eyes, and lines at the corners of them like an old person. He had grooves beside his mouth, and he looked tense even when he smiled at his.

Naruto gave the same spiel he'd given the monks. "We're ninja with the task force investigating the recent attacks on our citizens. We'd like a few words with you."

"I heard about some new attacks when I was out earlier. That's a real shame. No one was killed, I believe. Are they alright?"

Dang, he went outside that means he couldn't be a vampire—or something.

"They're still in critical condition. We're hoping for a full recovery," Lady Hinata answered.

"What can I do? How can I help? This is a truly horrible situation."

He sounded nice not at all like the monks. He looked at all of us. He smiled at Botan and me and offered us seats, but we couldn't sit down. We're professionals on duty. We don't relax.

"We'd like a little background on your troupe. Where have you come from? How many members are in your troupe? How long have you been here, and how long do you plan to stay in Konoha? Have you seen anything unusual or suspicious?" Naruto listed the usual questions. He wasn't being tough. He didn't need to be. This guy was being nice and friendly and cooperative.

"We don't have a home base. We're always on the road. That's why I started this troupe. I love to travel. We usually stay until the profits start to drop off. That usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. We've been here about 6 weeks now. There are 15 members of my troupe besides me. My brother Iwao and his wife Chiyoko are the headliners. There are the three Tanaka Brothers, Taji, Taro and Toshiro. Anda Higa is the trainer of the Wonder Dogs. The rest of the troupe are the performers in our skits, and they do double duty moving scenery, helping with wardrobe, etc."

"Could we talk to everyone?"

"Yes, of course, but could you do so during the morning hours? Everyone is resting now in preparation for tonight's performance. I'd rather not disturb them just now."

"Well—" Naruto hesitated.

"If you would give us a complete list of your troupe members to take back with us, ask them if they have any information on the attacks, and to report to the ninja complex if they do then we shouldn't need to trouble you again," Hinata answered for him.

"Yes, of course. I'll prepare it for you now." He sat down at the table to write down this information.

While this was going on, Botan and I looked around the room. It was messy unlike the monk's place. There were cases and clothes covering the floor. They looked like costumes because they were shiny, and flashy. The table he sat down at had a bunch of papers over it. That was about it. I looked at Botan. He looked at me. We both shrugged. We didn't notice anything suspicious.

After he finished writing, Leiko stood up and handed the paper to Lady Hinata rather than Naruto. I thought that was a nice thing to do. Naruto was acting like the leader, but Lady Hinata had asked for the list. He didn't ignore her, and he never ignored us. I liked that.

"Thanks for your cooperation. If we have any more questions, someone will be in touch. By the way, I really enjoyed your show even though I was there on the night those monks interrupted everything," Naruto told him.

"That was an unfortunate incident. I hope the monks are satisfied that we don't abuse animals. Anda Higa is one of the finest animal performers I've ever had in this troupe. She treats those dogs as if they were her own children."

"We haven't heard complaints from anyone else so I wouldn't take it seriously," Naruto assured him.

"I won't. Thank you. May I offer you complimentary tickets to another show? I'd love for you to see it without interruption."

"Thanks, but after these last two attacks, I don't think we'll have any free time in the near future."

"Yes, of course. That was thoughtless of me. You all must be very busy. I'm glad to see you've got two such fine helpers," he said with a smile at me and Botan. "Would you two like a pair of tickets for the show?"

"We're pretty busy, too," Botan said importantly. "We're ninja."

"We already saw your show twice. It was fantastic," I had to add my two ryos.

"Twice? Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

He took us to the door. We went out. We walked down the street a little bit then Naruto stopped us.

"Well? What did you guys think?" he asked.

Botan and I looked at each other. I don't know why we always had to look at each other before we said anything. I guess I was waiting for him to talk first. I always waited for him to go first. Maybe that's why Etsu thought of me as his sidekick.

"He seemed like a nice guy," Botan said hesitantly.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Nice doesn't mean innocent. I've run into a lot of seemingly nice guys who turned out to be villains of some sort. Did you notice anything suspicious about him or the room while Hinata and I talked to him?"

Botan shook his head, but I blurted out, "He looked a lot older up close."

Naruto laughed. "I thought so, too. He must wear make-up on stage. You found that suspicious?"

"I guess not. I was just—ah—"

"Disappointed?"

"Yeah. I just wondered if the others are old-looking, too."

"Maybe we could come back tomorrow and find out. I bet you want to see what the Amazing Iwao looks like without his mask. Or does Lady Chiyoko look as beautiful in person as she does on stage."

I never thought of that—not the Lady Chiyoko thing but the Iwao thing. That would be cool to see what the Amazing Iwao looked like, but I wonder if it would be like finding out how his tricks worked—disappointing when you finally found out the answer.

"Don't make any plans for tomorrow. We'll probably be expected to man the front gate since Sakura's team is doing that today as well as patrolling tonight," Lady Hinata cautioned.

Even Naruto looked disappointed at this reminder.

"Oh well, maybe another day. Let's get back to our dissection of the interview. Did he say anything suspicious that you guys noticed?"

We shook our heads again.

"Hinata, what was your take on that interview?"

"He seemed genuinely concerned about the attacks. He seemed open and honest with his answers to our questions. He looked tired and stressed. I don't know that any of those observations constitutes anything suspicious."

"Neither do I. That's what makes me suspicious," Naruto announced.

She smiled at him. "Why is that?"

"I've been here before—so have you—where the mean guys are innocent and the nice guys are guilty. That makes me suspicious."

She shook her head. "Oh, Naruto, you can't tell what someone's like simply by how they behave. If only life were that simple."

"Yeah, I know, but wouldn't it be really convenient if that were the case? I hate it when the people I like are the guilty ones. I want the mean ones to be the bad guys. However, in this case, I really think those monks bad guys of some kind and they'e up to something. Maybe something completely different from attacking Konoha citizens and draining their blood—but something."

"I know what you mean. They wouldn't meet our eyes. That servile attitude may simply be common in monks, but I didn't feel they did it out of humbleness. I didn't think their concern for animals was genuine. Their accusations at the theater seemed so staged."

"I guess we'll just have to report our instincts on this since we don't have anything concrete to report. That's what the Hokage wanted."

"That's true. Our instincts haven't let us down yet,"

"Yeah, I guess we'd better head back to the complex and report it. C'mon guys. We've had enough for one day."

We trailed behind Naruto and Lady Hinata letting them talk about whatever while Botan and I had our own private discussion.

"What do you think about werewolves?" I asked.

"As the attackers?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Wouldn't they have eaten the guys not just drunk their blood?"

"Oh yeah. I didn't think of that. They'd be a mess after a werewolf attack."

"I still like vampires for it," Botan said softly looking carefully at Lady Hinata's back to make sure she wasn't listening.

"Me, too," I agreed just as softly.

"I wonder what the Hokage will say about it."

"She'll probably tell us to shut up about it, too."

"Yeah, probably."

We were quiet for a few minutes then Botan turned to look at me with shining eyes, "But it would be so cool, wouldn't it?"

"Totally," I agreed enthusiastically.

What would the Hokage say?


	21. Escort duty

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXI. Escort duty

"Vampires. Yes, I've heard that rumor," Tsunade said thoughtfully rubbing her chin when Naruto brought up the idea after their return to the ninja complex. He knew that Hinata didn't want them to talk about vampires, but she'd agreed to hear what the Hokage had to say on the subject. The genin were chomping at the bit to know and—well—so was he.

"I've heard that rumor, too," Shikamaru said. "It's interesting how those sorts of rumors spread so quickly." He didn't care who or what the attacker was as long as they terminated the threat soon, and ended this troublesome double ninja duty.

"Yeah, me, too. I thought it was interesting, too," agreed Choji. He actually thought it would be cool. He'd been raised on scary stories. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts were all deliciously scary. He wouldn't mind meeting anyone of them, and kicking their butt.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" She just couldn't help teasing him even if it was too easy.

"What do you think about the vampire rumor?" Naruto demanded impatiently of the Hokage since she wasn't volunteering her opinion any time soon. She was the oldest, the most worldly, the most experienced ninja present. Her response was what counted here.

"It's worth considering," she offered mildly. Sometimes rumors had some grounding in truth. She hadn't come up with any other workable solution. Why not vampires?

"What!? No!" Hinata couldn't contain her involuntary reaction. Not the Hokage, too! Vampires couldn't be any worse then some of the enemies she'd fought in the past, but all those childhood fears were dredged up unpleasantly with the very word. Why was it so difficult to shake the things that scared you from childhood? Why did vampires strike such unreasonable terror in her heart? If only she knew how to stop her heart from wildly palpitating, her skin from chilling, and the cold sweat from damping her hands at every mention of the word, she'd be able to deal calmly with this new wrinkle in her reality.

Tsunade threw up her hands in apology. "I know. I know. I grew up on those horror stories, too, but we can't rule out anything. At this point that would be foolish. Unfortunately, vampires fit the facts as we know them right now. Until we discover evidence that leads us elsewhere, vampires must be considered along with everything else."

"What about werewolves?" Akira asked eagerly. Botan had sorta ruled them out for him, but he wanted an official opinion. If _anything_ should be considered—why not werewolves?

She smiled at him. "Sure. Why not? Find me incontrovertible proof, and I'll accept any theory. But I have to tell you, Akira, the facts don't seem to fit werewolves. You'll probably have to give up on that idea more easily than the vampire idea."

Akira looked down with disappointment while Botan nudged him with an _I-told-you-so_ look in his eyes. But he had to ask. If he'd learned nothing else from Naruto it was that it didn't hurt to ask.

"It doesn't have to be real vampires. It could be someone imitating vampires," Hinata suggested tentatively. That idea was more palatable to her then actual vampires.

"Good point, Hinata. Keep that in mind everyone. If we're dealing with vampire imitators then the rules regarding vampires—whatever those might actually be—don't apply. Hinata, believe me, I'd really like to discover a more satisfactory answer to these attacks, but we've got no evidence except the draining of blood. No one yet has come forward with any information to add to that evidence. No one has reported seeing anything unusual that bears on this case—unless one of you has something different to report?" She sounded skeptical with good reason. So far this attacker had gotten away without anyone witnessing anything—unless it was the witnesses that were being attacked, and the real crime was something else entirely. That was just another possibility to add to an already long list. At this point almost anything was possible.

Shikamaru and Choji had spent the morning and afternoon interviewing the current victims' family, friends and coworkers.

"Apparently, our two newest victims were friends as well as coworkers and neighbors. They stopped at the Tombo Bar after work fairly often to belt down a few before heading home to the same area of the same street," Shikamaru reported. "Both men were married with two children each. Everyone was understandably upset and bewildered by the circumstances."

"No one I talked to knew anything to report except that they had no idea why the two were by the river. They lived at the opposite end of the village," Choji added.

"So they were either lured there, moved there, or went to the river for some other reason unknown to their nearest and dearest," Tsuande mused.

"That's my take on it," Shikamaru agreed.

"Have you come to any other conclusions after your interviews?"

He put his hands in his pockets, and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, but there's absolutely nothing to add to what we already know. It could be vampires for all I can tell."

"_Sweet_," Choji said with a grin. He needed Shikamaru's sanction to consider such an outlandish idea. Shikamaru was the smartest guy he knew as well as being his best friend. If he was openly willing to give vampires a consideration then so was Choji.

"Not exactly," Tsuande said with a frown. "We need solid information."

"We're doing the best we can," Shikamaru said defensively.

"I know. Under the circumstances, we're doing everything we can, but that isn't enough. Without more information or a good break how are we to put a stop to these attacks? Keeping Konoha safe is our job, and we're _failing!_" her voice rose with frustration. Did she make a mistake sending out all of her experienced ninja? She'd thought averting another war was her most important choice. She never imagined they'd face a crisis at home so soon.

She took a moment to stem her emotional outburst before continuing. "Let's hear your team's report, Naruto. Do you have anything useful to add?"

Naruto and Hinata—mostly Naruto gave their report. She inserted details that he forgot when he asked or paused for her input. Together they presented a thorough report that even the genin couldn't think of anything to add except nods and a chorus of _yeah_ at various points in the narrative.

When they were all finished, Tsunade mulled over the information or lack thereof. They'd been thorough. She didn't think more experienced ninja could have done better. That still didn't make the lack of genuine evidence any more acceptable.

"I agree that the monks should be watched. If Naruto's suspicious of them then they must be up to something."

"Hey!" he objected. "I resent that remark."

"I'm complimenting you on your observational skills, Naruto," she said soothingly.

"Sure you are. That was a pretty backhanded way to do it," he grumbled.

"Subtlety's not my strong suit. You'll just have to take my word for it. You've all done an excellent job. I expected no less considering the experience you'd gained from your last assignment."

"What now?" Shikamaru asked without acknowledging the compliment. In his experience, the Hokage always followed praise with something disagreeable.

"I'm coming to that. Have a little patience, Shikamaru. Sakura's group is on patrol tonight. Tomorrow Neji's group will take front gate duty, while you'll have night patrol. Tonight I'd like all of you to help Neji's group escort people home from the businesses that'll remain open into the evening. I don't like the idea of inexperienced genin on their own after dark when these attacks have apparently been taking place. The theater lets out at 10. The nightclub will do the same. I expect the restaurants to close by 9. That just leaves the bars," she paused, and gave Naruto a baleful look.

"Naruto, I'd especially like you to walk home patrons from the Tombo Bar. You made such a wonderful impression on them. All afternoon, I've had an earful of your persuasive techniques."

He didn't have the grace to even look contrite. "All they wanted to do was argue with me instead of worrying about their customer's safety. I offered them a fair fight to shut up the complaints."

"Be that as it may," she said sternly. "You will now graciously walk patrons home until 11 pm. That's the hour I've approved for them to remain open with our aid. After that their customers are on their own."

"Okay, fine, but they'd better not complain to me anymore," he grumbled.

"Where would you like the rest of us stationed?" Shikamaru asked when Naruto had finished. He knew better then to interrupt those two. It only prolonged a tedious argument.

"The Kuro Uma Tavern also has permission to remain open until 11 pm. If the four of you and your genin partners take the Tombo and the Kuro Uma between you, we should have the evening businesses of Konoha somewhat covered. I'll leave it to you, Shikamaru to work out the details. That's all. Once again, you've done a good job," she told them before leaving them alone in the strategy room on the ground floor of the ninja complex.

They listened to the staccato beat of her heels on the hard floor fade away to nothing before anyone spoke.

It was one of the genin who finally broke the silence. "Do you really think it could be vampires?" Kiyosha, Choji's genin partner asked in a hushed voice.

"You heard the Hokage. We can't rule them out," Botan answered back confidently.

"Right, Naruto?" Akira added not to be left out, and to show Etsu, partnered with Shikamaru, that he wasn't just a sidekick.

Naruto glanced quickly at Hinata. She didn't look happy with the idea. He felt somewhat contrite that he'd been the one to bring it up to the Hokage. But if not him, someone would have done so eventually. "Right, but remember what Hinata said. It could be a vampire imitator. We can't rule anything out."

"Damn, I wish we could rule out something. This is getting tiresome," Shikamaru's tone was mild despite his language.

"So what do you want us to do tonight?"

"You already know what you're doing, Naruto. I can't believe you offered to fight the Tombo Bar owner if he didn't close down early," Choji laughed.

"He wouldn't stop arguing and complaining. All he cared about was making money not anybody's safety. He pissed me off."

"Don't let him get to you tonight, Naruto. You know the guy's going to continue goading you. Just escort the customers home. You've got to learn to tune all that other stuff out. That's why I want Hinata with you tonight. I think she'll be a calming influence on you. Choji and I will take the Kuro Uma Tavern." Shikamaru thought that the best division of labor. Hinata would keep Naruto in line better than either Choji or himself. Courting couples were always on their best behavior.

Their romance was actually the best thing that could have happened to his control of his team. Naruto had always been the wild card on every mission. No one could predict exactly what he'd do or what effect he'd have. Throwing Hinata in the mix was like throwing water on a fire. He just hoped nothing happened to upset their relationship. He wouldn't want to be around Naruto if that happened. Explosions would have nothing on his volatility then.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto grinned happily. He had no problem being paired with Hinata again. He'd originally thought this mission would get in the way of his courtship, but instead they were being thrown together regularly. Of course, having a couple of genin with them crimped his style a little, but not too much. He tended to forget they were even there once he and Hinata started talking.

"I don't expect many of the customers from either bar to want to leave until after 10, but we should give them the opportunity for an earlier escort. I'd say get to the bar before nine, and announce your availability to walk anyone home. Keep your genin partners. The Hokage doesn't want the genin on their own nor does she want anyone alone. Give the customers their last chance for an escort at 11 then head home. It's 6 now. You've got a few hours until you go back on duty. Okay?"

"Okay," they all agreed. Shikamaru, Choji, Etsu, and Kiyoshi left making further arrangements among themselves.

"Wait! Botan! Akira!" Naruto called before they ran out of the room. "Hinata and I will pick you up at your homes. I don't want you walking by yourselves that late at night. Just tell me where you live. We'll get you at around 8:30."

They gave him their addresses then ran out. Where did they get all that energy? Or maybe the better question was—when did he start conserving his energy instead of running around whenever he had the chance?

Naruto turned to Hinata. "Tonight I'll pick you up first, Hinata. Then we'll get those two."

"What about you, Naruto? You shouldn't be walking by yourself," she worried. Logically someone had to be last, but maybe she could defy logic in this situation.

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

"But I _will_ be worried. Of course, I'll be worried about you."

He put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't be. I'll be alright," he told her confidently. It didn't scare him that grown men had been attacked, and drained of blood without obviously putting up a fight. He didn't expect average workers to be able to defend themselves under extraordinary circumstances. They didn't have the training or abilities of a shinobi. He could take care of himself.

She frowned at him. She wasn't satisfied with his response. She had a better idea. "What are you going to do now?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Eat dinner. Rest, I guess."

She drew in a deep breath then talked quickly as if afraid she wouldn't get it out if she didn't, she suggested more boldly then she ever had in her life, "Come home with me. We can eat dinner together. You can rest on the futon in my front room." Maybe it was strange, but she couldn't help worrying about him. He never worried about himself so someone had to do it. Since she was an expert worrier, she volunteered willingly for the job.

"Unh?" His mouth fell open in astonishment.

She ducked her head, and twisted her fingers together in her old shy way. "I don't think you should be out by yourself after dark, Naruto. Even after we're finished with our escort duties, I think you should stay—stay with me tonight. The futon in my front room opens out to a bed. You could sleep there." Her face was a vision of red as she suggested this, and she refused to look him in the face.

"Hinata! I can't do that! What would people think?"

"I don't care. Your safety is more important than what people would think about you sleeping at my house."

"I don't know." Nobody had ever expressed worry for him before. He was overwhelmed by her concern. And the thought of staying in her house—alone—with her—was sending a jumble of emotions through him ranging from excitement to embarrassment.

"Please, Naruto. I won't get any sleep worrying about you all night."

He gave it some thought. He wanted to. He shouldn't. But he wanted to. He couldn't' have her all tired during patrol tomorrow night worrying about him. "If I do stay, I'll leave before daybreak so nobody sees me. I don't want your reputation to be ruined."

"You'll stay with me? Oh," She felt relieved and awkward at the same time.

After her tepid reception of his acceptance, he peered into her downcast face trying to read her thoughts. "You haven't changed your mind already, have you?"

"No. No, of course not. I want you to come."

"Okay. Why don't I go home and get my—ah—night stuff. I'll come by your place as soon as I can."

"I'll start dinner right away," she answered, rushing off, without once looking at him. She was overwhelmed by her boldness. Naruto was spending _the __night_ at her place. She'dasked him to stay _the night_. _Oh my_!

* * *

Dinner with Hinata was a little awkward. They had trouble finding things to talk about or looking directly at each other. There was suddenly a new intimacy between them just because he was going to spend the night in her house. It was different from all the times they'd camped together as part of a team. They would be virtually alone even though they'd be in separate rooms. Naruto was beginning to think it might not be a good idea after all. Under these circumstances, he thought he'd be the one not getting any sleep just thinking all night about her in the next room.

While he helped her wash up the dinner dishes, he noticed how she started every time their hands touched. She was obviously feeling the unease of the situation just as much as he was. He didn't like the disruption in their growing comfort with each other. It was like starting all over again in their relationship. No, he didn't like it at all. Finally, he felt he had to say something.

"This is making you too uncomfortable, Hinata. I'm not going to stay here tonight," he said abruptly. "I can take my chances going home. I'll run all the way."

"No! Naruto, I want you to stay. I do," she insisted stubbornly.

"Then why won't you look at me. Why are you treating me like a stranger?"

"I—I—I'm not," she protested faintly.

"You are. You don't really want me here. You're acting all shy and awkward with me again," he insisted.

"I guess I'm just—afraid," she whispered.

"Of _me_?" That wasn't the response he expected.

She shook her head. "No, of what you must think of me for asking you to stay here."

This astonished him even more. "Hinata, I don't think anything about you that I don't already think. I think you're beautiful. I think you're smart. I think you're caring. I think you're sweet. I love that you're worried about me. That's all I think. Hey, don't forget. You and I have slept together before without any problem."

"What!?" This time she finally met his eyes—in shock.

He grinned. "How many missions have we been on together where we had to camp out?"

"Oh, that's right." She smiled shyly. "But that's not the same. Besides, we've never slept closely together since we were—since we came to care about each other."

He took her hand in his, and drew her down on the futon which would be his bed later that evening. But that didn't bear thinking about now. He had to think reassuring things. "That shouldn't matter to us right now. I'm not spending the night here as your boyfriend. I'm here as a team mate you're worried about. I won't treat you any differently than I would any shinobi, Hinata. Not until you and I decide we want to be—ah—closer," he said firmly. He might think a few pleasant things about his beautiful, desirable girlfriend, but he didn't want some cheap, tawdry romance. He was no pervy sage going after every young girl in this path. He wanted something lasting. He'd wait as long as it took to have that. "You're as safe with me as you've always been."

"Oh, Naruto. Are you sure? It didn't occur to me at first how my asking you here might seem to you," she whispered.

"I'm sure. We've just started dating. Let's get comfortable with that. Okay? I never want you to be afraid of me."

"I was never afraid of you. I would never be afraid of you. I was more afraid that you would think badly of me."

"Never. Don't even worry about that," he said firmly. "Let's just worry about our mission. You and me is nothing to worry about. Deal?"

"Yes, Naruto," she told him with shining eyes. She couldn't believe how understanding he was of her shyness and insecurities. He was wonderful.

"Good." He brought her hand to his lips, and kissed it. He'd rather be kissing her lips, but he wanted her to be comfortable with him again. Under the circumstances, he didn't think kissing her, on his soon to be bed, would be a smart idea. "Let's go get the genin." He stood up still holding her hand.

"Yes, Naruto," she said again. She'd forgotten her resolution to be less accommodating. How could she possibly argue with Naruto when he was being so sweet?

* * *

Escorting the customers of the Tombo Bar proved to be as tedious and tiring as expected.

After all, it was a bar. If they hadn't thought about it before, they were completely aware now of the primary activity that went on in a bar. What activity was that?

Drinking.

So in what condition were the Tombo's customers by the time they were ready to go home?

Drunk.

And what were drunks like?

Stubborn, belligerent, silly, playful, stumbling, unsteady, disoriented—just to name a few of the things Naruto and company had to deal with for the long two hours they spent as escorts for the Tombo Bar's customers.

Naruto had to knock out one guy, throw him over his shoulder and carry him home. But that wasn't the only one he had to almost carry home. He tried to take on the more inebriated customers, and leave Hinata the more ambulatory. He'd never considered that almost passed-out drunk was better than what she might have to deal with. He didn't find that out until much later.

Unfortunately, Hinata had to deal with the _still somber enough to realize she's a female _drunks. She was forced to fend off several amorous drunks during her escort duty, but with Akira's help she managed to stave them off, and steer them home no harm done. She was tempted several times to try Naruto's _threaten to fight them_ strategy. However, they didn't seem to take her seriously as a ninja, so she was afraid she might actually have to follow through on such a threat if she really used it.

Near midnight, they were able to deliver the genin safely to their homes, their onerous duty done. At this time of night even the genin were tired from their long day's work.

By mutual consent, Naruto and Hinata walked slowly back to her place, enjoying the quiet and their alone time. Neither one was eager to return to Hinata's home, and the awkwardness they'd experienced with each other earlier. Out here in the open, they were back to the way they'd been before Hinata's solution to her worry.

This time he didn't hold her hand, he walked with his arm around her shoulders. She was definitely more at ease with him now, her earlier unfounded worries forgotten. He was just thinking about sneaking a nice kiss when he happened to notice something strange off the street several meters ahead. It was outside of the illumination of a street light, but was visible because it was large and white. The black streaks on it only highlighted the whiteness.

He peered into the darkness. "What's that up there against that fence? Can you tell, Hinata?" Her eyes were better at this distance with her blood limit.

She engaged her Byakugan. "It's alive, but breathing shallowly. It could be an animal or someone hurt."

They ran ahead to see find out.

As they neared the large white shape, Naruto could make it out despite the dark corner it lay in. It was an animal, and the black streaks were actually blood. "It's Akamaru!" he cried.

Akamaru lay on his side. His eyes were closed. His chest was rising and falling rapidly with his shallow breaths. There were five wounds in his side bleeding profusely. One of the wounds still held a kunai blade.

"Damn! How could this happen to Akamaru? Who could have caught him off guard like this?" Naruto stripped off his jacket to press against as many wounds as he could.

"Naruto. There's a man on the ground." Hinata had seen another shape near Akamaru with her Byakugan still engaged. She left Naruto to deal with Akamaru while she checked out the man.

"Who is it?"

She knelt beside him. "I don't know. He's been attacked like the others, but he looks worse than the man we found." She felt for his pulse. "He's dead, Naruto."

"Hinata, you've got to get help. Fast. Find one of the patrol. They can get medics here with their radio."

"Right. I've got to find Kiba," she said as she stood up.

"No! Get Sakura if you have a choice. She's got medical training. Akamaru's still alive, but I don't know how much longer. He's got to be saved."

"I'll be back as quickly as I can," she said, and took off.

Naruto turned his attention back to Akarmaru. He hated seeing him like this.

Had he lost too much blood? Was it too late? What could he do?

He better think fast. His jacket was saturating quickly. What could he do?


	22. Saving Akamaru

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXII. Saving Akamaru

Naruto pressed his jacket firmly against Akamaru's side, but he could still feel the blood squishing between his fingers as his jacket became more and more saturated. He could only cover four of the five slashes ranging from the dog's abdomen to shoulder. The fifth and highest wound still had the kunai blade protruding from its center. He didn't dare remove it yet. The blade at least blocked most of the blood flow from that wound.

"Hold on, Akamaru, buddy. Hold on. Help's on its way," he tried to reassure the large, limp dog, but his words didn't seem to have any effect. His eyes remained closed, his breathing remained shallow, and he made no responsive sound or movement to Naruto's voice or touch.

How long would it take Hinata to find someone to call in the medics? How long would it take the medics to get here? Were the pressure of his jacket and two hands enough to eventually stop the bleeding? He wanted to believe that he was doing some good, but he felt his present efforts were practically useless. It was like plugging a hole in a dam with his finger. It only prolonged the inevitable not changed its course. Beneath his hands, he could feel the pumping of Akamaru's heart, and with every beat he felt another surge of blood gush out. He had to do something more vital or Akamaru could die.

But what could _he_ do?

He wasn't a medic. He had virtually no medical training except what he'd witnessed in the course of his duties. In fact, it was Sakura that he'd seen heal many times. He'd watched her passively, incuriously, but admiringly over the years, but had he absorbed anything useful from his watching? Could _he _do something along similar lines even though he had no real training?

Well, he couldn't do anything intricate, but maybe he could do something more effective to stop the bleeding until a real medic came along. Akamaru couldn't recover if this blood loss continued. He'd go into shock. His body temperature would drop below restoration. He'd fall into a coma. Even he knew the hazards of blood loss.

How had Sakura done her healing? He closed his eyes to better visualize her techniques.

First, she'd put out an incredible amount of chakra into her hands whenever she'd healed. She could easily channel chakra where ever she wanted it. She'd always been excellent with chakra control. That's what made her such a good healer. He'd need a lot of chakra to imitate her—and that part he could easily do. He kept his eyes closed concentrating chakra into his hands then he silently asked Kyuubi for a mega jolt to add to his. He didn't demand only because he had no time to argue. He needed Kyuubi's chakra right now.

As usual Kyuubi was sarcastic and taunting, but ultimately in a giving mood.

Naruto had his chakra. Now he had to work on control.

He knew almost nothing about dog anatomy so he concentrated his energy on simply stopping the blood flow. Sakara or whoever arrived first would have to deal with any internal injuries. He'd just make sure Akamaru didn't bleed to death, and he'd use his chakra to warm him up in the process.

He couldn't just throw chakra at the problem—he had to focus on the end result of the veins pumping out the blood. He needed to basically constrict the blood flow around the wounds, artificially clotting it. He had to do this carefully, but quickly so he didn't inadvertently cause more damage. He could try constricting the veins themselves which would have been the easiest way to stop the bleeding, but he remembered something about that being bad—something about cutting off the blood flow to an area for too long could permanently damage it.

After that he just had to seal the wounds to keep out infection. Hopefully, his interference in the healing process would do more good than harm. Since he only had a vague idea about what he was doing that hope was in the lap of karma.

His first step was his every reliable shadow clone jutsu. He _could_ throw a few more Naruto's at the problem to good effect without using too much chakra. One for each wound should do it.

"Here we go," he said under his breath.

He leaned against his jacket pressed against Akamaru to keep the pressure on the wounds. Freeing his hands he performed the signs for his shadow clone jutsu. He set a clone apiece on three of the wounds while he began to work on the largest wound. He followed the blood flow with his chakra rapidly constricting blood vessels. With that accomplished, he drew the skin together and sealed the wounds closed with more chakra.

It sounded easier in theory than it was in practice. Blood was everywhere. He only knew he and his clones were succeeding as less blood got in the way.

Once the four open wounds were taken care of, he and the clones worked on the kunai blade wound. He pulled out the blade causing a fountain of blood to spurt, and applied his chakra on that wound, too, stopping the blood flow first then clamping and sealing the wound. With four of them working, they'd accomplished these tasks in record time. Once their tasks were complete, his three clones popped out of existence, and he was left alone with his patient.

He stood back when he was finished, and checked Akarmaru's condition. He was still breathing shallowly, but—and maybe it was his imagination—but it seemed to be slowing down and becoming a little deeper. Was that good or bad? He didn't know. He couldn't even guess. What if his ministrations had permanently damaged Akamaru?

He threw his sodden jacket to the ground and wiped his bloody hands on his pants legs. He was a bloody mess. With his orange jacket now a red wad on the ground, he was dressed all in black—and red. The blood may not have been as obvious on his clothing in the dark, but as it dried his clothes began to feel stiff and crusty. And the smell of blood was everywhere. He was surprised to realize that dog's blood smelled similar to human's—sort of metallic and cloying. Unfortunately, soon night creatures attracted to the scent would be investigating the scene. He wanted Akamaru out of here by then. It would be damned difficult to defend the helpless Akamarua, as well as an inert dead man in the dark.

The dead man.

He'd almost forgotten about the dead man.

He walked over to the other side of Akamaru where the man was lying. He squatted down beside him, and checked his pulse again just in case Hinata missed the faintest signs of life. But she hadn't. This man was cold and stiff. Even in the dark, Naruto could see that he was extremely pale. He was almost white against the darkness.

Naruto studied him. One of the benefits of his possession by a fox demon was the fox's keen eyesight. It wasn't as enhanced as Hinata's Byakugan, but it was better than the average person's sight especially at night. He could see quite clearly in the dark at close range.

So who was this guy?

There was nothing unusual about his attire. The man wore everyday clothes like any one around Konoha. He could have been anyone from the village, but Naruto didn't recognize him as a Konoha denizen—not that he knew everyone in Konoha. However, his face even in its death-mask state, seemed familiar. Naruto was certain he'd seen the man before, but he couldn't place him in any Konoha setting. Maybe he didn't really recognize him at all. Maybe he just wanted to so the man wasn't someone who lived in the village. He didn't want to see anyone die this way, but it seemed worse if it were one of them.

Naruto sat back on his heels then quickly stood up.

He'd never been comfortable with death. He'd seen it too many times in his career, but he never liked its necessity. The death of enemies he could intellectually justify, but the death of innocent victims saddened and disturbed him. Did it remind him of his own mortality? Or did it make him aware of just how powerless he was against the great equalizer? Not one for over analyzing anything, h pushed those uneasy thoughts out of his mind, and concentrated on peering into the darkness anticipating relief from his strange vigil.

Where was Sakura or a medic?

It seemed like an eternity, but Sakura and Hinata finally ran to his and Akamaru's side. He stood back to allow Sakura access, explaining what he'd done, and answering her questions. She pulled out a pair of surgical gloves from her hip pack, and began her examination while Naruto held her flashlight over the area, and continued his explanation.

Sakura excelled at triage and field surgery. Her training with the Hokage had emphasized treatment in the field where it was necessary. If the injured were forced to await treatment until they could be taken to a proper facility, they usually suffered irreparable damage or death. That had been the fate of many injured-in-the-line-of-duty ninja before Tsunade had insisted on medically trained ninja.

The medics arrived shortly after Naruto had silenced carrying two stretchers. Two of them immediately carried off the dead man. The other two—not very politely—took Naruto's place in assisting Sakura in her work. He didn't like their superior manner, but he didn't mind leaving them to it. He stood aside next to Hinata watching from a distance.

"You brought the right ninja. Good job," he said softly to Hinata.

"I found Shino first," she explained just as softly. "I told him to send for Sakura and a few medics. I said you and I had the scene contained so they wouldn't all rush over here. I met her on my way back to you. I told her that Akamaru would be her patient. She agreed that Kiba shouldn't be told until we knew the extent of his injuries."

"I don't want to be the one to tell him what happened."

"No. Neither do I." She couldn't imagine how Kiba would react to this news of his severe injury's or death. That was inevitable one day considering the shorter life span of dogs, but not this way. Akamaru had to recover. He just had to.

"I hope Sakura can heal him before we have to tell Kiba. If he dies, he'll hate that we didn't get him here in time," Naruto worried aloud after the silence began to unnerve him. If someone he cared about was dying, he'd definitely want to be there. He just hoped they made the right call to leave Kiba out of it until Akamaru was out of danger.

"Your hopes are well founded. I believe I have healed him for now," Sakura said confidently as she stepped back motioning for the medics to pick him up. "Take him to the hospital. The Hokage will meet you there. I want him to have a transfusion immediately. He's suffered an extensive blood loss. Exsanguination is the most immediate danger. He must have some relatives who can donate. It's time we told Kiba." She turned on her radio, told Kiba that Akarmaru had been stabbed, and he needed an immediate transfusion. She told him to bring a few of Akarmaru's relatives to the hospital as soon as possible since they'd be the best blood match.

Next she talked to the Hokage. She explained what had been done for Akamaru, and what needed to be done at the hospital. She asked her to take over the case while she returned to her patrol. "Shino, Ino and I can cover the rest of tonight's patrol while Kiba stays with Akarmaru. When my shift is finished, I'll stop by the hospital, and give you a complete report. If you need me for anything else just call," she ended her transmission.

Sakura turned to Naruto. "You did a good job, Naruto. You stopped the bleeding just in time. He could easily have bled to death before I was able to arrive. If you'd ever like some medical training, you'd be a natural," she told him.

"Thanks, Sakura. I wasn't sure what to do. Watching you all these years helped. He's really going to be alright?"

"I think so. The first four gashes were shallow not hitting anything vital. However, they opened him up causing an excessive amount of bleeding that would eventually have led to death if not for you. The final blow went deeper. It nicked one of his kidneys. If that had been unattended for too long, toxins would have entered his blood stream, and blood poisoning would have killed him. I temporarily repaired the damage to his kidney. The Hokage can effect more permanent repairs at the hospital. I, also, extracted the toxins that had begun to seep out. Now infection is the most immediate danger. As long as he was bleeding out, the wounds cleansed themselves. When the blood flow stopped that was when his condition was most sensitive for picking up infection."

"Are you saying that my stopping the bleeding could have killed him?" Naruto was aghast. He thought he'd done a good thing.

"Naruto, massive blood loss would have killed him much quicker than toxins or infection. You did the right thing. Luckily, I was on duty tonight. I got here more quickly than any of the medics could have. Every second was important to saving his life."

Naruto was sort of satisfied with that answer. He wondered if maybe he shouldn't have a little medical training if mere seconds could separate someone from their life under these circumstances. "I don't get how anyone could have caught Akamaru off guard like that," Naruto wondered shaking his head.

"I wonder at that, too. Akamaru should have been able to fight off an attacker armed with a kunai blade. No one should have been able to get close enough to him to stab or slice him five times. You said the other man was dead when you arrived on the scene, Hinata? Could he have been the one who attacked Akarmaru?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He had the same wounds as the previous victims. It was distinctly possible that Akarmaru had come to his aid."

Sakura rubbed her chin in an unconscious imitation of Tsunade. As her apprentice, she'd managed to acquire a number of Tsunade's personality traits. "I see. Well, then my guess would be that whatever the attacker uses to cause his victim's to become docile while under attack was also used on Akamaru. There has been no evidence that any of the victims fought back. We haven't been able to determine the reason for that. The Hokage has speculated that it's a drug of some kind, but it appears to disappear from the blood stream as quickly as it wears off. We haven't found traces of anything identifiable. Oh well, I've got to go back to my patrol. I'll see you later. You need a bath, Naruto," she said wrinkling her nose at him.

"So do you," he retorted, but really somehow she'd managed to remain relatively blood-free. She'd removed her own jacket, and had knelt on it during her examination. It had suffered the most contact with Akamaru's blood. He picked it up, and added it to the pile of his jacket, and her surgical gloves.

"Take those things with you, Naruto. I wouldn't want anyone to see them tomorrow, and panic," Sakura commanded rubbing her arms. It was cold in the wee hours of the morning.

"Here, take my jacket. It gets chilly towards morning," Hinata said handing it to Sakura. She hadn't been much help with Akamaru. This much she could do.

"Thanks. I'll probably need it. See you later." She put on Hinata's jacket, waved good-bye, and took off.

Naruto and Hinata followed the medics with Akamaru to the hospital—or rather they helped the medics carry him to the hospital. It had taken them awhile to situate Akamaru securely on the stretcher. It wasn't designed for an extremely large animal. At his adult size, he was incredibly heavy. They could use a few more strong hands to keep Akamaru on that stretcher as they carried him to the hospital—so Naruto cloned himself once again. It was his specialty. Maybe he didn't use it often enough.

When they reached the hospital, the Hokage was waiting for them there. She overrode the protests of hospitable personnel that Akamaru should go to a veterinary not human hospital. Tsunade insisted that he was an important member of her ninja staff, and required the same expert care his human comrades could rely on. She herself would supervise his treatment and care. She ordered him taken to an operating room so she could examine Sakura's work.

"You two should go home. You need a bath, Naruto," she told them as they loitered in the hospital corridor watching her take charge.

"I think we should wait for Kiba. He might have some questions, and he shouldn't be alone now," Naruto suggested. He'd been dirtier. He could wait a few hours before getting cleaned up.

"He could read your report," she suggested dryly.

"Yeah, well, we haven't written one yet as you well know. That's for tomorrow."

"Suit yourself, but I don't want you exhausted before your guard duty tomorrow night—I mean, tonight—it _is_ after midnight already."

"Don't worry. We've got all day to sleep," he assured her.

"Perhaps," she said mysteriously then followed the path the medics who carried Akamaru had taken down the hall.

"You don't mind my messy clothes, do you?" he asked Hinata once the Hokage had left them.

"No, of course not. You came by your condition honorably." She barely noticed his messy condition. She'd seen worse in her career.

"You're okay with waiting for Kiba, aren't you, Hinata?"

"What? Oh," she hesitated. Naruto still didn't know how badly Kiba was taking their relationship. Under this new stress would he cause even more trouble?

"Don't you want to? Kiba's your team mate. He'll need your support—right? I'll walk you home and come back if maybe you're too tired," he offered. He didn't understand her hesitation. What was he missing here?

"No. Yes! Of course, he will," she said stoutly.

"Okay, let's sit out here, and wait for him. He has to come past us to get to Akamaru." They sat down on a bench in the hallway. Naruto took Hinata's hand, and played with it while they waited.

She was torn between loving his teasing of her hand, and not wanting Kiba to see the outward evidence of their growing intimacy. Before she could decide to do anything about it, Kiba came barreling through the doors with three very large dogs obviously related to Akamaru.

"Where is he?" Kiba demanded tensely, barely noticing the two waiting for him.

They pointed down the hall. Kiba and entourage practically ran down the hallway. He peered into the doors at the end of the corridor until he found the right one. Then he and his companions disappeared inside. However, within a few minutes, Kiba was stalking impatiently back up the corridor towards them.

"They won't let me stay while they perform their transfusion procedures," he said fiercely as he continued to pace the floor once he'd reached them. "They don't allow non medical personnel in the operating room."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a glance. What consoling thing could they say to that? It didn't seem fair to either of them.

"Would you like me to get you some tea or something?" Hinata offered tentatively. Maybe that would calm him down. She'd never seen Kiba so wired before. But then she hadn't been on the last mission that Akamaru had almost lost his life. She'd heard about it, but she hadn't witnessed Kiba's distress first hand.

"I don't—" he began impatiently, but then seemed to have second thoughts. "Yeah, sure."

With relief to be doing something to help him, Hinata hurried off.

Once she was gone, Kiba turned to Naruto. "Tell me what happened, Naruto," Kiba demanded as he took in Naruto's bloody clothes. He swallowed audibly realizing that he wore Akamaru's blood.

"Sure." Naruto took a breath, and related everything he and Hinata had done from the moment they'd noticed the large, white shape several meters ahead of them on the walk home. He downplayed his part in Akamaru's treatment. He still felt a twinge of guilt that he could have hastened Akamaru's death with his _help._He didn't want Kiba to know about that.

When he finished his story at the arrival of Akamaru at the hospital, Kiba said abruptly, "Sakura told me you saved Akamaru's life."

Naruto started. "What? Me? She said that? Really?" He was pleased with the acknowledgement even thought it might not be completely deserved. Sakura rarely praised him. She was quicker with a punch than a kind word.

"Yeah. She said if you hadn't stopped the bleeding, Akamaru might have—" his voice faltered. "might have died."

"I just did what I could. I don't have any medical training, but I've seen Sakura in action plenty of times. I just imitated her," he said modestly, although inside he was congratulating himself with '_W__ay to go, Naruto.'_ If Sakura said so, it must be true.

"Well, you did save him. I'm grateful," he ground out. This was very difficult for Kiba. Here was the guy he wanted to hate for stealing his girl—but he didn't have a single mean thought in his head about him at the moment. He'd tried to build Naruto up as an ugly character to get Hinata to see things straight, but that had all been a big lie. Naruto was—well—Naruto. He wasn't mean. He wasn't nasty. He wasn't some player out to taken advantage of an innocent girl. He was actually a decent, caring, honorable guy who would probably give Hinata all the happiness she deserved. It was hard to admit it especially to himself, but he'd been wrong from the beginning. He'd been the only one to hurt Hinata in all this, not Naruto. If anyone turned out to be an ugly character it was him not Naruto. And he hated himself for it, especially now that Naruto had done something so incredible for him. He owed him big time—and he always paid his debts no matter how hard it was to do.

He didn't look Naruto in the eye, but he was ready to make a clean breast of things. "Look, Naruto. I was wrong about you. I'm sorry for all the mean things I've been saying to Hinata about you. I guess I was just a little bit jealous. But I'm over that now. It won't happen again," he confessed.

"Unh? What mean things?" Naruto was completely clueless.

"Hinata, didn't tell you? Yeah, I guess she wouldn't, would she? She wouldn't want us fighting. Look, I haven't been very nice about you lately to her. I called her your Rebound Girl. Told her you were going to dump her. Told her you were still stuck on Sakura. Stuff like that," he said gruffly. It sounded even worse saying it aloud. He really was a louse.

"You said that stuff to Hinata?" Naruto felt his face getting red in anger.

"Yeah. I did."

"You—you—" Naruto didn't know what to say. This was a shock. He thought Kiba was his friend. "I ought to punch you out for that, Kiba."

"I know. Go ahead. You can't hurt me any worse than I feel now. Go right ahead." He stiffened as if he expected Naruto to punch him in the jaw at any minute.

Naruto's fists were doubled up, but he knew he wouldn't follow through on his suggested threat. He just couldn't believe that Kiba would say that kind of stuff to Hinata. And he was a little _jealous_? That came as an even bigger surprise. "I don't hit a guy when he's down—but if you ever pull something like that again—"

"Don't worry. I won't. I really am sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. The better man has won the field. Congratulations. You better make her happy."

Naruto felt his face grow red for an altogether different reason than anger.

_Congratulations_? Were congratulations in order just because they were dating? Wasn't that what you said to an engagement or marriage? He hadn't even begun to think about that yet. Good thing Hinata wasn't here. She'd be even more red-faced than he was.

On the tail of that thought, Hinata returned with a cup of tea for Kiba.

She took one look at the two red-faced, awkward-looking young men in her life, and wished she could be anywhere but here. This didn't look good. At least they weren't actually fighting. She'd only been away a few minutes, but what had happened between them while she'd been gone?


	23. Apologies all around

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXIII. Apologies all around

Hinata walked forward slowly, and softly almost as if she were approaching two feral creatures she'd come across in the wild. Neither young man seemed to notice her approach; they were too intent on ignoring one another. When she was close enough to at least be in their peripheral vision she halted, and took a deep breath.

"Kiba? I've brought your tea," she said hesitantly. Cupping the tea in two hands, she stretched out her arms to offer it to him, and bowed her head in the process. If she didn't look anyone in the eye, maybe the awkwardness of whatever happened when she was gone would simply dissipate into the atmosphere somewhere.

He started suddenly aware of her presence. He'd been so totally engrossed in his own dark thoughts that he'd forgotten all about agreeing to her tea bearing trip just to get her out of the way so he could have some words with Naruto. "Ah, thanks, Hinata," he took the cup, tilted his head back, and drained it down in one gulp. It wasn't quite hot enough to scald going down, but it wasn't the comfort she'd intended. He could feel the path of the tea all the way down his throat. He panted a little to cool off his mouth as he stared down at the empty cup in his hand. Maybe he should have taken his time with the tea instead of downing it in one second flat. Now what should he do?

Hinata glanced out of the corner of her eye at Naruto as the silence deepened. He wasn't looking at her or Kiba. He was staring down the hall towards the room where Akamaru was being tended to. She studied his expression trying to read his mood. His cheeks burned red, his brown was furrowed, his mouth was downturned, and his eyes flashed. Those were all signs of anger, but not the hot anger he usually displayed. He should also be yelling, and flailing around. Holding in his emotions was not a typical Naruto trait. Was this really a bad sign or a new state of maturity for Naruto? What should she do? Should she say something? What should she say? Who should she say something to? Kiba had already spoken semi-calmly to her so he'd be the safest, but Naruto's feelings were the most important to her. Would he explode if she spoke or would he be semi-calm, too? Should she risk it or—maybe she should go get more tea. Tea was calming.

Naruto stared stonily into the distance. He was still angry with Kiba. He felt sorry for the attack on Akamaru, but he was still angry. He just didn't know what to do with that anger when Kiba was hurting. But _damn it_ he was justifiably angry! He still couldn't believe that Kiba had been so—so stupid, insensitive—and just plain _wrong!_

How could Kiba have said such mean things to Hinata? Hinata had always been his friend. Did jealousy require hurting the object of one's jealous feelings? How stupid was that? Didn't he get that abusing Naruto would hurt Hinata? And how could he think Naruto would do something so foul? He thought Kiba should know him better than that by now. When had he ever done anything so despicable?

More importantly—how did Hinata feel about what Kiba had told her? Did she believe any of that wrong-headed, asinine crap Kiba had spouted? Should he ask her or just let it drop? Why hadn't she told him? Was it just to prevent a fight or did she believe some of it, and was afraid to ask? Damn, Kiba. How he wished he could just sock him in the jaw—just one time—just to alleviate some of this turmoil he was feeling. A simple apology just didn't seem adequate compensation for the upset Hinata must have felt. He didn't see how he could just forgive and forget without forcefully demonstrating to Kiba just how nasty he'd been. Maybe when everything was settled, he'd have it out with him no holds barred if he still felt this riled.

"Er—" Kiba began.

"Yes?" Hinata asked eagerly. Her gaze had been swinging back and forth between the two of them waiting for some sign that it was safe to speak. She'd have preferred for Naruto to say something, but she'd settle for Kiba. They were here to support him after all. Was there something more she could do? She was ready to go on any errand available—anything to postpone the inevitable revelations to account for the awkwardness between these two.

Kiba set the teacup down on the bench away from Naruto then thrust his hands in his pockets. He hunched his shoulders, and stared down somewhere near Hinata's feet. This was worse than his apology to Naruto. How could he ever make it up to her? An apology just wasn't enough for the unhappiness he'd caused her. Oh yeah, he remembered the look on her face after their little talk about Naruto. He'd tried to forget it. He'd tried to justify his actions. He couldn't successfully do either so he'd settled for ignoring his guilty feelings whenever they cropped up. However, they kept cropping up more and more frequently. Now he had the chance to make things right, but he still would rather shove it aside then face Hinata. What a coward he was! If he'd learned nothing else from his ninja training it was to face difficult decisions rather than avoid them. Things only got worse that way. Hinata had been his friend before she'd been anything else to him. He owed her his honesty, his sincerity, and his contrition.

He took a deep breath that sounded more loudly than he'd intended. "Look, Hinata," he started in a rush. "Naruto and I—well—he—I—we had a little talk while you were gone."

"Oh?" She looked uneasily from one to the other. Naruto had turned his gaze from the distant hallway to stare at Kiba.

"I apologized to him. I was wrong about him—totally wrong. He's not the type of guy to use you as a substitute or just dump you. He'll deal square with you. He's that kind of guy." He finally looked up at her, but he didn't give her a chance to answer before he continued. He had more to say, and he had to get it out quickly before he lost his nerve.

"I want to apologize to you, too, Hinata. I'm sorry about everything I said. I don't have a good explanation. I was just—I don't know what I was—but I'm over it now. Please forgive me? We can all be friends again? Right?" he pleaded. He couldn't admit to her that he was jealous. He cringed to remember that he'd said as much to Naruto as an explanation. He just wanted to forget all about his rotten behavior. It might take awhile to get back to normal, but he'd do his best to get things straight again so he could look Hinata clearly in the eyes, and face Naruto without feeling guilty. As long as she and Naruto were happy together, he'd get over his dog-in-the-manger attitude. He'd had years to romance Hinata, and he'd never done so. Now with Naruto clearly interested there was no reason for him to suddenly go after her. In fact, it was insulting to Hinata. He'd always known how she felt about Naruto. She'd never made any secret of it to him. She'd never once given him any impression that she'd be interested in him even if Naruto wasn't interested in her. If his own feelings had been genuine, he shouldn't need another guy showing an interest to get him moving. He should have been actively pursuing her long before Naruto seriously entered the picture. That thought just gave him one more thing to feel guilty about. He needed to get this over with, and move on.

Hinata looked at Kiba with her mouth slightly agape. She wanted to say all was forgiven. She'd always been fond of Kiba as a friend. She was never one to hold a grudge, but did Naruto feel that way as well? He was the one Kiba had maligned. Could she tell Kiba everything was fine if it wasn't for Naruto? She turned her gaze to her beloved. He was the one who had to be persuaded to forgive and forget. She was already there. He'd eventually see reason, but maybe not at this moment.

Naruto didn't seem all that happy about the situation. He still wore that stony expression on his face as he stared at Kiba. What should she do? She hesitated, and waited for Naruto to look at her. When he didn't give her some clue, she finally said, "Naruto? Did you—could you accept Kiba's apology?"

He took his time, leaning back, crossing his ankles, folding his arms over his chest, and drawing out his response. His eyes never left Kiba's face as he watched him squirm a little while he awaited Naruto's response. That gave him a little satisfaction, but not quite enough torture—yet. "Wwweeelll," he drawled. "I guess I can."

She sighed in relief. He still looked angry, but she would trust what he said not the way he looked. Naruto wasn't the type to hold a grudge either—not for long anyway. "Then I accept your apology, too, Kiba. I believe you to be sincere. I want to be friends again. You, too, right, Naruto?" she coaxed with sweet anxiety.

Naruto stared challengingly at Kiba, and allowed a few long moments to pass again before he responded. "Yeah, sure, if that'll make you happy, Hinata," he paused, and gave her a reassuring smile. He wasn't mad at her, and wanted to be certain she understood that. He turned his gaze back to Kiba, and gave the conversation an abrupt turnaround. "Say Kiba, how _did _Akamaru come to be all alone out there? Aren't you two partners? Shouldn't you have been with him when he was attacked?" He didn't add _maybe you should have been the dead guy found nearby_, but he felt it was implied just to show he wasn't completely forgiven.

Kiba flushed a bright red not from Naruto's implication. His attention had been caught by the former accusation so the rest of Naruto's intent had gone over his head. "Yeah, we are, and I should have been with him, but we don't do _everything _together."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto challenged. "What was he doing all by himself?"

"He—ah—" Kiba mumbled.

"What? I can't hear you."

"Akamaru had to take a dump, okay?" he burst out angrily. "He can't just go anywhere. He was heading for the park. We were supposed to meet up later at the front gate. Satisfied?"

Naruto shrugged, grimaced, and said to Hinata. "Remind me to walk more carefully the next time I'm in the park."

"Hey, he digs a hole and covers it up again. He doesn't just go, and leave it there," Kiba said defensively.

"Well, that's what I thought dogs usually did. I've accidently stepped in enough dog piles to know," he returned wryly.

Kiba shook his head vehemently. "Not Akamaru. He knows better."

"He _is_ very well trained," Hinata agreed.

"That's not all. He's considerate, too. There's no reason for the town's people to get all bent out of shape at his traveling everywhere in town with me. He would never harm an innocent or anyone's property. I wish I knew who's been complaining about him. I'd straighten him out pretty darn quick," Kiba said defensively.

"That's true, Kiba. I've never seen a more well-behaved dog," Hinata fully supported his claims. She'd been around Akamaru long enough to know that he was very unusual for his species. He was almost human in his understanding, but then all the Inuzuka dogs were like that. "I don't know who could have complained about him. It couldn't be anyone who knew of his contributions to our missions. What does the Hokage say about it?"

"The Fifth wouldn't tell me anything. She said the complaints were anonymous. She said we had to be _circumspect _for the time being."

"Circumspect?"

"Yeah. A fancy word for staying out of the way—as if Akamaru doesn't have every right to walk the streets of Konoha just like anyone else. He's done more for this village than a lot of people who live here."

"You're right. Akamaru's put his life on the line plenty of times for this village," Naruto agreed. While they discussed Akamaru, he felt more charitable towards Kiba. Another topic might not find him so forgiving.

"Damn straight!"

"Maybe it's those monks," Naruto said darkly. He was ready to throw any unexplained bad deeds at their heads. They were guilty of something. He was certain of it. Maybe it was something unpleasant like this, if not attacks or murder.

"Wasn't their order founded for the protection of animals?" Hinata asked tentatively.

"So they say."

"Maybe that's why the Fifth said for the time being we had to put up with it. If it's those monks, she doesn't expect them to stay around the village for a long time. I didn't like them either. They didn't seem to know much about dogs," Kiba agreed. There was something else he and Naruto could agree on. Maybe they really could be friends again.

They all fell silent once this subject had been exhausted.

Hinata took the tea cup back to the hospital cafeteria. Naruto stayed seated on the bench with his arms fold across his chest. Kiba stood propping up the wall with his hands in his pockets. When Hinata returned she sat down on the bench beside Naruto, but not as closely as earlier. She was still conscious of a thread of ill-feeling permeating their tenuous friendships.

After almost an hour of silent waiting, Kiba finally said, "You, two, don't have to wait here with me. You're on duty tonight. You should go home, and get some sleep."

"We'll stay until we know Akamaru's out of danger," Naruto insisted. He'd want someone with him in a similar situation—even someone mad at him.

Hinata nodded. "We won't leave you alone, Kiba."

"Thanks," he said gruffly. He felt a lump in his throat. He'd never forget how generous spirited these two were under the circumstances. He'd never make that same stupid error in judgment again.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that the Fifth finally came out of the operating room, and walked tiredly towards them. Even the heels of her shoes beat out a low key, lethargic staccato on the floor.

"How is he?" Kiba called out eagerly.

She didn't answer until she came completely up to their group. She put her hand reassuringly on Kiba's shoulder. "I think he'll be fine. We still have to watch for infection. If his temperature doesn't spike in the next few days, then I think he'll truly be out of the woods. You can take the other two home later this afternoon. I'd like them to rest, and be given plenty of fluids to compensate for the blood they gave to Akamaru before I release them."

"That's great," Kiba said with a sigh of relief. He hadn't once dared think about the alternative. He'd concentrated all his thoughts and prayers on Akamaru's recovery during this time of waiting. "I guess I should go back, and finish up my patrol duty."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Not just yet. I'd like you to have a look at the dead man found with Akamaru. I don't recognize him. I'd like the three of you to take a good look. We need to inform his family as soon as possible. If you can't tell me anything we'll have to arouse the others to knock on doors to find out who's missing."

"Yeah, sure," they all mumbled in a jumble rather than a chorus.

They followed the Fifth down to the basement level where the morgue was housed.

This wasn't Naruto's favorite part of an investigation, but he'd seen worse. His last mission had dealt with a corpse that had been burned to obliterate all marks of recognition (see: Elementary, my dear, Naruto). That hadn't been a pretty sight, and they'd had to study the body for quite some time looking for clues to his identity. This examination would be a cakewalk in comparison.

The dead man had been laid out on a gurney awaiting an autopsy to be performed at a more normal hour of the morning. The cause of death was fairly obvious based on the two puncture wounds in his neck, and the exsanguinations of his body, but the obvious was not always the correct answer. Complete and proper procedures were observed following every suspicious death.

Tsunade, Kiba, Hinata, and Naruto encircled the body, and looked down at his face.

He had shoulder length brown hair. His open eyes were brown. He looked completely desiccated from his massive blood loss. His face was wrinkled, flattened, almost colorless, and ancient-looking. Tsunade addressed that issue as she directed their observations. "I've given him a cursory exam. The blood has been almost completely drained from his body. I know he looks old, but I actually believe him to be a young man. Lack of blood has accentuated and created wrinkles, giving him a deceptively elderly look."

Now that the light was better, Naruto was even more convinced that he'd seen the man before, and it wasn't just wishful thinking on his part. When Tsunade told them the man was really young and not old, that fact had jogged his memory. "I think I know who he is," he said excitedly. He was always much better at recognizing faces than he was with names.

"Well? Who is he?" Tsunade demanded impatiently.

"I think he's one of the actors from the Iseki Acting Troupe. Remember, Hinata, he played the father in the first skit—the one called _The doomed lovers_. We saw their performance a few days ago. He was made up to look old. That's what made me think he looked familiar when I first saw him. I wasn't sure until just now looking at him in a better light. He looked like an old man in the skit, but he didn't look this old."

Hinata studied the man more carefully. Now that Naruto had identified him, she could more easily see the resemblance. "I think you're right, Naruto. I didn't even consider him, but he does remind me of that actor."

"That could be why I don't recognize him. I haven't seen the Iseki Acting Troupe yet. What about you, Kiba?"

He squinted at the dead man. He'd seen that skit weeks ago. He hadn't found the male actors too memorable, but Naruto could be right. "It could be. I haven't seen the show for a few weeks."

Tsunade rubbed her chin. "I'd like to get this settled quickly. Naruto, since you talked to the troupe's manager, why don't you ask him to come in to identify this man? We can at least rule the acting troupe out if he turns out not to be the one you remember."

"Now?" He looked poised for flight.

She smiled. "Not quite. Go home, wash, and change first. I don't want you frightening the man. You really do need a bath."

"Should I go, too?" Hinata asked tentatively.

"Why not? You'd be more diplomatic than Naruto should the need arise. Bring him back right away. I'd like to have this one mystery solved as soon as possible."

"What about me?" Kiba asked.

"Walk Hinata home then finish your patrol shift. I assume you'd like the chance to clean up a little yourself, Hinata? If this man's not part of the acting troupe, you'll have to help identify him by canvassing the village. Naruto, you can pick Hinata up at her home before you head out to get the Iseki Troupe's manager. I'll meet you all back here. I'm not leaving the complex until we've identified this man."

"Right," they chorused then headed out.

Naruto parted from them outside the ninja complex. "I'll be as quick as I can, Hinata," he said before running off. He didn't even think twice about leaving Hinata with Kiba. He trusted him even now. He always had.

Hinata and Kiba rushed off towards her house. They exchanged no words until they reached her door.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Kiba," she said already in her house, and ready to shut the door.

"I really am sorry."

"I know. In your own way, you were just trying to protect me. I understand. I forgive you, Kiba. You only hurt me a little. Please believe, I trust Naruto, and I always will. Now I must go. I need to wash up a little myself before Naruto gets here."

"Okay, See ya' later," he said just as she shut the door.

He did feel better after all that apologizing. Absolution was good for the soul. Now if only he could be sure that Naruto really meant it. He didn't trust Naruto's forgiveness as much as he did Hinata's. He'd still have to jump through some hoops for Naruto, but in the end even Naruto was more forgiving than most. Everything would all become status quo again—eventually.


	24. Retrieving Mr Iseki

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXIV. Retrieving Mr. Iseki

"Hinata, why didn't you tell me about Kiba?" That had been the burning question in Naruto's mind as he'd washed, changed, and high-tailed it over to Hinata's house. But he hadn't asked it right away. He'd allowed minutes of hurried walking to pass by until his need for an answer had been too overpowering to hold back the question.

She bent her head to avoid his eyes.

She'd been afraid of this. There was no way Naruto would have allowed his natural curiosity to leave unanswered questions to fester. He was a need to know kind of guy, but she didn't know how to answer him. There were so many reasons she hadn't told him. One reason Naruto wouldn't like. One reason that might make him angry. One reason he wouldn't understand. One reason she wasn't quite sure of in her own mind. What could she tell him that would lead to the least unpleasantness?

Naruto considered himself an understanding guy. Even though he hadn't always understood Hinata's shyness, he now appreciated it. He understood that she was a girl with deep, sensitive feelings, and had rarely been asked to explain herself or her actions. He understood that she was still getting used to him. He'd give her time to think about his question—as much time as his patience would allow because he did want that answer.

When the silence grew too long, he reordered and asked his question again. "All that stupid stuff Kiba was saying about you—about me—about you and me—why couldn't you tell me about it? Didn't you think I'd want to know? Didn't you think I needed to know?"

Her head seemed to bend lower. He tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but her hair obscured his view, and it was still very dark. He couldn't get close enough as they walked quickly along the road to see more than her outline. Although, her mouth moved without much sound as she tried to form a response, he couldn't see it, but he thought he'd caught a faint _Naruto _from her direction. He patiently awaited her reply, but still she didn't answer him. He tried another approach without giving her as much time to think. "I don't like it when you don't tell me things," he told her gruffly. "I don't like it at all."

Her heartbeat quickened. Oh no! She'd made him angry. This was one of those situations where the consequences were unpleasant no matter what she said or didn't say. How could she make this all right?

"Naruto," she began her voice sounding faint and broken. She cleared her throat, and began again. "Naruto, if—if I feel you will be more hurt or—or disturbed knowing something than not knowing something—I—I would rather not tell you even though you may wish me to." She glanced sideways at him to see how he was taking this explanation. It didn't look good. Even in the dark she could tell he was frowning.

"But _you_ were hurt, too!" He chopped his arm in the air to make his point. "I need to know that kind of stuff!"

"I wasn't hurt so much." She shrugged her shoulders. It didn't seem so hurtful now.

He breathed out heavily in frustration. Why didn't she see that this was important to him? "Hinata, I don't care how much or how little—_any_ hurt is _too_ much. I want to share it with you—comfort you—care for you—_terminate _the source of your pain."

She shook her head. "It didn't matter. It really didn't." She wouldn't mind the comfort and care part. It was the _terminate the source_ part that had her worried. She had to protect both Naruto and Kiba from the consequences of their sweet, but foolish male over-protectiveness. She didn't want to have to choose one over the other in a fight. She cared too much about both of them to see them at odds over her.

"It matters to me!" he ground out.

"Kiba didn't really mean any of it. He thought he was protecting me. He didn't mean to cause me pain," she pleaded her friend's case.

"Okay, forget Kiba. He apologized. The point is that you didn't tell me about it. What if it had been somebody else saying that kind of stuff to you? Would you have told me then?"

She tried to think of someone saying mean things that she'd want to tell Naruto about, but she couldn't. Knowing his reaction, she wouldn't risk Naruto hurting himself physically or emotionally just to defend her from some hurtful words. She shook her head again. "I don't think so."

"Do you intend to keep things like that from me all the time?" he demanded.

"If it seems for the best," she answered truthfully.

"_Hinata_—" he began then stopped. He never considered that she could be so stubborn. She'd always been such an agreeable girl in the past. She'd certainly surprised him this time. What was he going to do with her? There wasn't much he could do if she insisted on her stubborn course. He began to laugh ruefully. "We're not going to agree about this—are we?"

"I think—maybe not," she agreed giving him a sideways glance. He was smiling now. His white teeth gleamed in the darkness. He couldn't be too angry if he was smiling. She returned his smile in relief. If he was smiling surely very thing would be alright?

"Well, I don't want to be angry with you about this." He couldn't be angry with her for something other people said, however—.

"Nor do I want you to be," she responded quickly as he paused.

"You do know that this could be a problem for us in the future," he said pensively, and scratched the back of his head. Thinking about it, he was surprised to find that he felt rather glad that Hinata wasn't going to just agree with him about everything all the time. That she had a little spice to her made her all the more enticing. If this was the worst he could expect in their relationship then he was still a very lucky guy.

"I know," she said sadly and softly. Their first disagreement. Was this the end?

He took her hand. "Just so we understand each other. _You_ want to protect me while Iwant to know when someone's hurt or upset you so that _I _can protect you. That is _our _conflict. But it doesn't have to destroy our relationship."

She looked at him wonderingly as he squeezed her hand. "No?" she asked hopefully.

"Nope. We'll just both have to work towards a compromise."

"Compromise?"

"That's right. Sometimes you'll tell me when stuff upsets you, and sometimes I won't be angry when you don't. How does that sound?" he asked cheerfully. He could live with that as long as she learned to start confiding at least some of her troubles to him.

She smiled shyly at him. "I'll try. Naruto, sometimes you can be very wise."

He grinned at her. "I know. I even surprise myself."

They walked silently for a few moments before he asked the second question that had caused him more than a little amount of worry since they left he ninja complex earlier.

"Hinata? You didn't really believe any of that stuff Kiba said, did you?"

"No!" she said emphatically.

"Not even a little bit?"

She shook her head vehemently. "I believe in you, Naruto. I believe that you'd never deliberately hurt me. If I'd had any doubts, they only lasted for a second. When you're with me I have absolutely no doubts at all," she told him with more confidence then she'd ever displayed in her life. He still didn't seem to understand that she loved him. She was too shy to tell him before she knew that he felt the same, but she longed to show him the true extent of her feelings. She hoped that day would come soon.

"Hinata," he breathed softly, stopped and drew her close. There was no time to demonstrate his full appreciation of her faith in him, so he only took a few seconds to hold her against his heart, and press his lips to the top of her head.

He released her all too soon with a sigh. "I guess we'd better get back to our mission. The Fifth won't be too happy with us if we take too long."

"Yes, of course," she said a little flustered, and straightened up from her complete envelopment in his embrace. She'd almost forgotten their present mission. Naruto did seem to have that effect on her—but she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

It was only minutes later that they stood before the Iseki Acting Troupe's manager's door.

Naruto gave Hinata a look.

She nodded.

He raised his hand, and knocked briskly on the door.

"Mr. Iseki! Mr. Iseki! We're the ninja who spoke to you yesterday. It's important that we speak to you again," he said loudly between knocks. "Wake up, Mr. Iseki!"

He sounded incredibly loud in the stillness of the very early morning. He didn't want to wake up the whole neighborhood. He knocked a little softer, and called to the manager in a lower voice with his next barrage on the door.

In the middle of his third round of knocks, the door opened to the manager still fumbling into a robe to cover his pajamas. His hair was tousled, his pajamas rumbled, and he stared out at them with bleary sleep deprived eyes. "What—what is it? What time is it? Why are you here in the middle of the night?" he asked in confusion.

"Actually, it's almost morning. Sorry about this, but there's been another attack. We haven't been able to identify the victim. I think he might be a member of your acting troupe," Naruto explained brusquely. There was no sugar-coating it. At this time of morning only the truth would have the power to arouse and hurry the man.

"What? Oh no! Which one? Is he badly hurt?"

"I don't have a name for you. I only saw him once during your performance so I can't be certain. If you'll come with us, you'll be able to verify whether I'm right or wrong."

"But if you tell me who it is, I can check his room for you. All of the actors other than myself, my brother and sister-in-law are staying in the house next door."

"You can guarantee that everyone else will be in their rooms?"

He hesitated. "Well, actually no. I don't keep tabs on my troupe's whereabouts after practice or performance hours. It is possible that someone could be out. You're right. Waking them up for a bed check wouldn't be a good idea. I should come with you to view your newest victim. That will make it certain whether he is a member of my troupe." He rubbed his head as he considered this.

"That was my thinking," Naruto agreed.

"If you will wait outside while I change. I'll be as quick as possible. I would ask you to wait inside, but the front room is my bedroom and workroom. I would not want the young lady discomfited with I change."

"Of course. We'll wait right out here," Naruto agreed after a glance at Hinata. The suggestion was reasonable. There was probably no reason for him to be suspicious. If the manager tried to run away, he'd be easily caught. Ninja were too well-trained to be outrun by the average person. However, he was quick to voice his concerns to Hinata as soon as the door closed on them.

"What do you think, Hinata? He's not trying to get away out the back is he?"

"It would be foolish for him to attempt to do so," she said verifying his thoughts.

Naruto leaned against the wall beside the front door. "I looked him over when he came to the door. He didn't look like someone who'd been attacking people and giant dogs this evening."

"He would have had several hours to clean up while we waited at the hospital. But I agree that he did genuinely look like we'd wakened him. Do you suppose such a cold-blooded killer could have calmly gone to sleep after his evil deed? I would think that he'd be too wired to go right to sleep."

"I never thought about it before, but you're probably right. I never wanted to get into the mind of a killer to wonder what he's thinking after he's killed. I think it would be gruesome and disturbing." He grimaced.

"But if we understood how someone like this thinks, it might be easier to catch him before he could do too much damage."

"I suppose so. We've had to deal with a lot of evil guys over the years. Power, greed, or just plain pleasure in killing were the usual motivations. Those were all reasons I never understood, but they weren't that easy to hide. Now that we might be dealing with vampires, I guess we'll have to add a new reason—killing for food." He shook his head. He'd only ever killed out of necessity. He'd much rather bring his foe in alive than dead. He'd often been considered too soft, but he'd rather spare a life—even the meanest—than take one.

"I don't think I could ever understand killing for any of those reasons either," Hinata agreed. "And I don't even want to consider a vampire's reasons. I find that more gruesome and disturbing than any other reason," she added with a shudder.

"I could have had some sympathy for whatever reasons were behind these attacks before he'd killed. Now I don't think any reason would be justified."

Before they could continue their discussion, the door opened, and Leiko Iseki stepped out. "I woke my brother to tell him where I was going. Please lead the way."

They started out towards the hospital near the ninja complex. Hinata led the way while Naruto took up a position at the rear of the group. They could have proceeded more casually—the danger for the night was probably at an end, but they were professionals. This was the way they would proceed under the usual official conditions whether escorting a prisoner or a witness. He knew the Hokage would appreciate their professionalism, and was certain to remark if she observed otherwise.

After a few moments, Iseki said, "I didn't just waken my brother to inform him of my absence. I was worried that he could be the one you thought you'd recognized. He often likes to unwind at the neighborhood bar after a performance. I've warned him to be careful, but he's quite a bit younger than I am. He doesn't take well to being treated like a kid."

"He was at home, though, right?"

"Yes. He and Chiyoko were both asleep. I admit I was greatly relieved." He fell silent for a few minutes. "Which member of my troupe do you believe is the victim?" he asked at the end of those minutes.

"Look, Mr. Iseki, I don't want to prejudice your identification beforehand," Naruto said uneasily.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he—ah—he—" Naruto wasn't sure how to word the problem.

Hinata came to his rescue. "Mr. Iseki, tonight's victim may be difficult to identify. It will be better if you have no preconceived ideas."

"Why? Why will he be more difficult than the others?"

"I think we'd better have the Hokage explain that to you. She's a medical ninja. She can explain the medical aspects better than we can. She's waiting at the hospital for us now."

"Oh, of course, if you think that's best," he agreed in a confused voice.

They continued the rest of the journey silently. Once they were inside the hospital, Naruto led the way downstairs to the morgue. There was a waiting area outside the door to the morgue. He gestured to the bench. "Sit down. I'll go look for the Hokage."

He went into the morgue first. She wasn't there. As he went back out into the hallway, he heard the tap of the Hokage's heels as she came towards them from further down the hall. She made Naruto feel tired. He'd been awake just as long as she had, but she looked alert and rested—and almost as young as he was while he felt tired, jaded, and old.

Before he could open his mouth, the Hokage took in and over the situation.

"Mr. Iseki? I'm the Hokage," she formally introduced herself.

He stood up, and bowed to her.

"I'm sorry for the necessity to bring you here at such an early hour, but we need to have this new victim identified as soon as possible so his family won't suffer uncertainty any longer than necessary. Naruto thought he might belong to your acting troupe, so I deemed it reasonable to give you the first opportunity to view him. Has the situation been explained to you?"

"That much has been explained. I was told you would tell me anything else I needed to know."

She gave Naruto and Hinata a nod of approval, before turning her attention back to the acting troupe manager. "Have you heard about the previous attacks? Do you know the nature of the injuries?"

He hesitated. "There have been many rumors. Considerable blood loss has been mentioned time and again."

"Exsanguination is the medical term. This time the exsanguination has been complete."

"What do you mean?"

"You must prepare yourself, Mr. Iseki. This man has been completely drained of blood. He's the first victim who has been killed in this manner."

Iseki paled visibly. "Dead? He's dead?"

"I'm afraid so."

His hand shook, as he took a kerchief from his pocket, and wiped his forehead. "I—I see."

"He won't be easily recognizable. Absence of blood flattens the tissue, accentuates the wrinkles, and completely changes the color of the skin. You will have to study him carefully to know for certain if he is a member of your troupe. Do you understand, Mr. Iseki?"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I'm just not—this isn't something I'm accustomed to. I—may I have some tea or something before—before I examine the man."

"Of course. Hinata, would you—"

"Yes, certainly," she said swiftly. She was glad to have something active to do. This was so difficult to watch. The average person wasn't as familiar with death or dead bodies as ninja were. They were never prepared for the unpleasantness of death.

They stood silently awaiting Hinata's return. Naruto didn't know what to say that wouldn't have the Hokage frowning at him. Humor was one way he dealt with awkward situations, but she never appreciated inappropriate levity. He'd matured enough to sometimes know when to keep his mouth shut.

Mr. Iseki continued to wipe his face with shaky hands. He was almost as pale as the dead man—but not quite. He appeared to be naturally pale anyway so it was surprising that he could look even paler.

Tsunade could think of nothing more to say to make this task more palatable. For herself, she hoped that he could identify the dead man. That would make her job easier. If this wasn't a member of the Iseki Acting Troupe, she would be facing this scenario at least once more but probably many more times before the end of the day. As time passed, the body would begin to decompose, and identification would become more and more unpleasant for the victim's family. That was an option she'd just as soon avoid.

Hinata returned as quickly as possible which wasn't as quickly as everyone would have liked. Due to a lack of personnel working in the odd hours of the morning, she had had to brew the tea herself. Luckily, she was a little familiar with the hospital kitchen from her visit only hours before for Kiba's tea.

Iseki drank the tea slowly at first, but once it was cooled, he drank it in one long gulp. He handed the cup to Hinata, thanked her, squared his shoulders, and said, "I'm ready."

Tsunade led the way into the morgue.

There was only one body laid out on a table in the room. Iseki's eyes widened in horror as he approached the table. He began his traverse across the room slowly, but quickened his pace after a few steps as if realizing that the quicker he did this the quicker he could be done with the onerous task.

He looked down into that flat, wrinkled face unseeingly at first. As his scan moved from one feature to another again and again, his eyes seemed to widen even more. His face suddenly scrunched up in pain, and he turned away with a cry of despair on one recognizable word.

"Moreo!" he cried.


	25. Iseki mourns

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXV. Iseki mourns

"His name was—is—was Moreo Murai," Iseki said wearily as they sat more comfortably in Tsunade's office after Iseki's tragic identification of his troupe member. He seemed even more tired and drained than the lack of a full night's sleep would mark him. His shoulders slumped as he rested his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. He appeared much older than his thirty-something years would indicate.

"He was the youngest male member of our acting troupe. He was only twenty years old. He'd been with us for almost a year. He told me he'd always wanted to be an actor. His ambition one day was to be a major star on the silver screen. In the meantime, he'd asked me to teach him everything I knew. No job was too small or too mean if it belonged to the theater. He built scenery; he took care of props; he even sewed costumes. I had him work on every aspect of theater production before I allowed him to appear on the stage. At first he only had walk-ons then he graduated to one-liners. The first skit in our production here was the biggest part he'd yet played. I wanted him to begin with character parts to improve his acting skills—and he was good—very good. Didn't you think so? Didn't he play an old man remarkably well?" he suddenly raised his head, and leveled his desperate question directly to Naruto.

Naruto blinked his eyes, startled at the sudden question. "Oh yeah. I'd never have guessed he was around my age. He was really convincing," Naruto infused every once of conviction he could into his voice to reassure the distraught man.

"I didn't even realize he was a young man," Hinata added feeling extreme sympathy for his loss.

He nodded his head throughout both comments as if it were vitally important that his judgment was confirmed. "He _was_ good. He had _so_ much potential. I was planning to give him an even bigger part in our next production. I think he would have gone far in this business—if—if only he'd been given the opportunity," his breaking voice trailed off sadly.

"Can you tell us how to get in touch with his family?" Tsunade asked after giving him a moment to recover.

Iseki shook his head. "I'm sorry, but he never wanted to talk about his family. From the hints he'd let slip now and again, I think he left under unpleasant circumstances. I don't think he ever wanted to see them again. So many of the young people we meet on the road are escaping their unfortunate lives. I take in as many as I can until they can find their way, but we're a small company. There's only so much I can do."

"Do you know where he came from?"

He shook his head again. "He never mentioned a precise location. He never let slip anything I could identify. I don't think he came from the town we'd found him in. I think that was only a temporary residence for him."

"What about someone else in your company? Would they know?"

"I don't think he had any close friends in the company. I think I might have known him better than anyone else. He wasn't very talkative. He kept to himself doing his work conscientiously. I know I'm not old enough, but I tried to take a fatherly interest in him. He was rather shy until he got on the stage. That's where he shined. I wish I'd persisted, and tried to get to know him better, but I thought we had time. I thought there'd be plenty of time for him to grow comfortable with us," he paused, and stared morosely at the floor. "Frankly, I don't know if Moreo Murai was even his real name. It sounds a little too styled to be for real, doesn't it? But it does have star quality."

"That seems a little strange that you wouldn't know anything about him. He traveled with you for nearly a year. Do you let just anyone join your troupe?" Naruto asked skeptically. He forgot to be sensitive because of the man's recent grief.

He shook his head taking no offense. "Not just anyone, but anyone of interest to the company. I constantly audition prospective members. I'm always looking for unusual or special talents that I can showcase, but I need basic actors, too. I look not just at experience or talent, but enthusiasm and desire. Even with a modicum of talent, I can develop someone into a proficient actor if they have the will. You must understand—most of the actors with my troupe are people looking for a new path in life. We're constantly on the move. It's not a suitable job for someone wishing to establish roots. We've had a frequent turnover in the past because of the hectic pace we set—writing, learning and performing new skits in less than a week. Making props, sets and costumes in even less time. This was the longest I've ever kept the same company of actors. I love the life, but not everyone can cut it. I lose a lot of talent when we get to the bigger cities."

"So your entire troupe is composed of itinerant actors?"

"They'd have to be—wouldn't they? Several times, I've been offered the opportunity to stay in a city and form a city troupe, but I confess to severe wanderlust. I can't imagine staying in one place for very long. Three months is the most I've ever stayed in one place, and that was almost too long."

"How did you come to hire Moreo Murai?"

"He just came around after a performance. He didn't look malnourished or ill-kempt so he must have been working someplace—he never said. He asked for an audition. I thought we could use another member so I granted his request. He wasn't brilliant, but he seemed to have the potential and the enthusiasm I desired so I hired him. Except for my brother, sister-in-law, and the specialty acts which usually leave after a few years, all of my staff are people I just happened upon during our travels. Whenever we've needed new staff someone will ask for work. The stage is very attractive to young people. They think it a stepping stone to bigger and better things."

"Is it?"

"I wouldn't know. I never again heard of or from anyone who's left the troupe. It would be nice to think that they've moved up in the world, but opportunities for starring performers are limited. I do what I can while they train with me, but I'm only an average actor myself. It would be nice to hear from one of them again, but we don't follow a set travel schedule from year to year. Variety is another thing I find necessary to my soul."

"You say he was the newest member of your troupe?"

"That's right. The oldest members are the Tanaka Brothers. They've been with me four years. The next youngest and newest member is the young lady who played the lead in our first skit. She's 24 and has been with us for two years. It's unfortunate that she and Moreo weren't closer since they were the youngest of the troupe, but I believe she's involved with one of the Tanaka Brothers."

"Lady Chiyoko looked pretty young," Naruto remarked thoughtfully.

"Looks can be deceiving, young man. She and my brother are almost thirty although they both look much younger. How I wish I'd inherited that tendency." He sighed.

"Why would Murai have been out in the village after your performance?"

"We've been in your village for six weeks now. They've all gotten to know the local hang-outs. I believe Moreo was fond of pool. He liked to unwind after a performance by playing the game. He was very good, and he preferred playing against strangers for money. I don't know how late he would have stayed out. Like I told this young man earlier, I don't keep tabs on my performers after practice or performance hours. Their private time is just that—private."

"Have you heard of attacks of this nature at any other towns or cities in which you've performed?"

"There are always criminal activities surrounding any large group of people, but no attacks similar to these. I find them very unusual."

"I don't believe we've been able to interview any members of your troupe yet. Would they be available sometime today?"

He hesitated. "Of course. Afternoons would be the best time for interviews. Some of my troupe sleep in quite late," he paused. "Yesterday, I had spoken to all of them after this young lady and gentleman paid me a visit. I've issued instructions that anyone with information should speak to you as soon as possible. Everyone's indicated that they have no information to pass on, but please, feel free to speak to them yourself."

"Not that I doubt your word, but I think I should send someone official to ask the questions. Perhaps a stray memory can be shaken free when the questioning is performed by a professional," Tsunade suggested.

"As you wish," he inclined his head.

A few moments passed before anyone spoke again. None of the ninja could think of any more questions that needed to be asked at that moment. The silence began to feel awkward when Iseki suddenly said, "Lady Hokage? I've been thinking. We would normally have left your village next week. With this trouble you've been having, and the probability that fewer people will be interested in attending our performances, and most importantly—that I don't wish another member of my troupe to meet such a horrible end—would we be able to leave the village tomorrow or the day after?"

"Wouldn't you like to stay until we've caught the killer of your troupe member?"

"I must weigh that desire against the possibility that another of my troupe will be attacked. Even in their best interests, I think it would be impossible to keep them tied to the house. Reducing stress or at the very least boredom would drive them out to seek distractions—and we are used to late night schedules. I think it would be safer if I took them elsewhere. I trust you to bring Moreo's killer to justice. There's nothing I or my troupe can do to help you."

Tsunade rubbed her chin. She had no official reason to hold them in Konoha, but she hated allowing any potential suspects to vacate the vicinity. "I'd like you to provide me with an itinerary for the next several months. I'd like to be able to get in touch if necessary. Plus I'm sure you'd like to know the disposition of the case once we've cracked it."

"Of course, I'll prepare a copy immediately.

"This afternoon will be soon enough—when my ninja interview the rest of your troupe. If the interviews go satisfactorily, I see no reason for you to delay your departure any longer than tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage. I'd also, like to arrange for the burial of Moreo before I leave."

"I'll have a mortician call on you this afternoon as well." She stood up. "I think that's all for now. I'm truly sorry for your loss, Mr. Iseki." She bowed to him.

"Thank you." He stood up, and returned her bow.

"Naruto. Escort, Mr. Iseki, and Hinata home. Then go get some sleep. You've got guard duty tonight. I'd like you well-rested for any emergency."

"Right," he agreed sharply. Towards the end there he'd started to feel really sleepy. Talking must be cathartic for grief, because Iseki gave them a lot more information than they needed to know.

The journey back to the manager's house was gravely silent. In the darkness of the late night or very early morning, even the town seemed oppressively quiet. They didn't run into any of the patrol, a stray citizen, or even a stray cat on their way. To all intents and purposes, they could have been the only living people in Konoha for all the life the town displayed. It was a strangely disquieting thought.

Naruto and Hinata were both exhausted, and wrung-out from their intense night while Iseki was clearly numb from grief and weariness. When they finally left him at his door, he didn't so much as look at them, let alone say good-bye. But they scarcely noticed the lack of courtesy; they were too intent on getting home themselves.

By the time they reached Hinata's house it was sometime between 4 and 5 in the morning.

Hinata stood with her door open waiting for Naruto to enter. As far as she was concerned nothing had changed in their previous arrangements. It was still night, and she would still worry if he walked home alone.

But Naruto had changed his mind about their plans. He didn't think it was such a good idea after all for him to stay alone with her all night in her little house for any number of reasons—some he couldn't even begin to discuss with her. Just telling her he'd changed his mind was difficult enough without going into details as well. But he had to tell her something even if it wasn't the most convincing thing. As he considered his options, he hovered just outside her doorway, rubbed the back of his head, and gave an awkward little laugh.

"Naruto, arent you coming in?" she asked softly.

He gave another little laugh then hunched and relaxed his shoulders. "Ah—look—Hinata, I'm—ah—I'm going back to my place. I think I'm safe enough from an attack since there's already been one. And you know—I—ah— think I'll sleep better in my own bed."

"Naruto! You—you can't just leave. Aren't you exhausted? Wouldn't it be simpler for you to stay here now? It will take you at least twenty minutes to get home," she persisted. Her heart beat painfully in her chest. _He'd changed his mind_. Why had he changed his mind? Why didn't he want to stay with her anymore? Was it something she did? Was it something she said? What was wrong?

He was completely oblivious to her consternation. He thought she was just being her sweetly caring self, but still he waved his hand dismissively to her concerns. "This is nothing. You know we've been trained to stay awake for 48 hours straight if necessary. I'm fine. I could stay up for hours yet," he boasted, and spoiled it by yawning. "Man, where did that come from? I'm fine. Really."

She studied him with her solemn, silver eyes shining hugely in the darkness. "We've also been trained to be able to sleep anywhere," she couldn't resist pointing out in her disappointment.

"Yeah, well, there's still no place like home. Although, there's not much night left to sleep in, I still think I'll do better in my own bed. I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata," he ended hurriedly. Better to leave it at that before he fell asleep right there at her door.

He leaned forward, and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Let's have dinner together before guard duty. Okay?"

He didn't even kiss her good-night properly. What was wrong? Now was not the time to ask. He was obviously exhausted. She'd have to wait until tomorrow. "Yes, of course, Naruto if you'd like. Will you come here? I'd be happy to fix dinner."

"Great. I love your cooking. See ya' later."

He started to turn away when she called him back.

"Naruto! Naruto! Please be careful," she told him anxiously.

He waved at her. "Don't worry. I'm always careful. Sleep well, Hinata." This time he hurried off before she could call him back again. He didn't want to get into any further explanations (like not trusting himself to be alone, and undressed with her in a tiny house). He knew she was worried, but she should know that he could take care of himself. He was a ninja after all—and a jônin. He could take care of himself, her, and anyone else who needed taking care of. But he'd really like a good night's sleep first. He hadn't realized just how exhausted he was until he started walking home. Oh, for eight solid hours of sleep—

* * *

"Naruto! Naruto! I know you're in there! Wake up!"

The calling out of his name penetrated his awareness first, but the heavy banging on the door pulled him up completely from the depths of sleep. He didn't recognize the voice at first, but he cursed it for interrupting his sweet sleep enveloped in his warm, comfortable bed. He would have yelled _'Go way!'_ if he hadn't finally realized the owner of the voice demanding his consciousness if only by the announcement of her identity.

"Naruto! It's Naomi. Please, wake up!"

He groaned, and rolled out of bed. Why was it that all his friends (and family) persisted in keeping him from his natural and necessary sleep? It wasn't as if he goofed off or overslept on a regular basis. Couldn't they wait until they saw him out somewhere without tracking him down to the one bastion of privacy and solitude he had left in the world?

He wasn't totally out of it mentally as he remembered to throw on a robe over his pajamas to decorously greet a female, but still felt lumbering and unsteady as he trudged to the door. What time was it anyway?

"Naruto!" she cried in relief, and the tension smoothed out of her young face when the door opened. "I knew you were still home." She walked in, and sat down on the end of his tousled bed without waiting to be asked. She beamed happily up at him.

He shut the door, yawned, stretched, looked longingly at his bed then sat at the table in his little kitchenette. If he even sat down on the bed, he'd surely sink back into its comfort, and sleep. Unfortunately, that would be rude while entertaining a guest. "What time is it?" he asked ending with another huge yawn.

"I don't know for sure. After lunch, anyway. Maybe 1 or something." She shrugged.

"Oh? Okay then I've slept about 7 hours. That should have been enough. I don't know why I still feel so tired." He'd meant the question to be rhetorical, but Naomi answered it.

"Maybe because you don't usually sleep into the afternoon? It tends to throw you off to sleep odd hours. I know when I stay up late, and try to make it up I don't feel as well rested," she responded to his question seriously. It hadn't been often in her young life that someone asked her opinion. She wanted to give a good one so she'd be asked again.

"Yeah, I guess that must be it. I suppose I'll wake up soon." He yawned again, and rested his head on his hand. He didn't completely close his eyes, but squinted in her direction. When she didn't say anything, he thought maybe if he prompted her, she'd tell him what she wanted, and leave more quickly so he could go back to sleep before he really woke up. He could sleep guiltlessly for a few more hours. "What's up, Naomi?"

She frowned at him. "What do you think? You're my family now. I miss you. I haven't seen you in days. Don't you miss me? Don't you want to hang out with me? I'm so bored with Lady Tsunade. Not that I don't like her. She's really nice, and nice to let a perfect stranger stay with her. But Naruto, the only work she has for me is filing, filing, and more filing. I hate it! It's awful! Please, Naruto, rescue me," she pleaded sounding a little whinny towards the end.

He laughed. It seemed Tsunade was doing her utmost to keep Konahamaru and Naomi apart. Too bad she couldn't have come up with a more exciting plan. He didn't blame Naomi at for being bored. If the village wasn't so bereft of ninja at the moment, she could have gone to school during the day. If she hated filing, she wouldn't find school that exciting, but at least it would keep her out of trouble. "I'm sorry. I've been really busy. I've been working not playing. I haven't been doing anything that you could join in."

She pouted. "I'm not a kid. I don't expect to play all the time."

_Right_, he thought fondly. _An adult does whatever work has to be done without complaint. A kid whines about it, and avoids as much of it as possible_. Damn! When did he get to be so mature? "So how did you get away?" he asked changing the subject.

"After lunch, I just left. Lady Tsunade said she'd be busy all afternoon, and would take me home later. I've got hours until she comes looking for me," she said smugly, pleased with her subterfuge.

He grinned at her. He wouldn't scold her, but man, would she be in for it if Tsunade found out. "How did you find my place?"

"I asked someone."

"Someone? Who?" he asked sharply.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Some guy at the ninja complex. Since he looked like a ninja, I thought he'd know you, and where you lived. He did. He gave me good directions."

He frowned. "You shouldn't talk to strangers. Not at a time like this. What did he look like?"

She squinched her eyes as if that would help her remember. "Well, he was about your age—I think. He had black hair and eyes. He looked really tired, but he was really handsome."

Was she talking about—naw, she couldn't be talking about _Kiba_? He wasn't really handsome or even just plain handsome—was he? Did girls think Kiba was handsome? Maybe he should've been more jealous of Kiba and Hinata than he'd first thought to be? "So you thought he was handsome?"

"Oh, yes. And he looked a little sad. Is he a friend of yours? Why was he sad?"

"If he's the guy I think you're talking about, he almost lost his partner last night."

"He did? But I heard a man was killed, and a dog was attacked."

"That's right. The dog, Akamaru, is Kiba's partner."

She laughed. "How can a dog be someone's partner?"

"Akamaru's not just a dog. He's something special. I want to go to the hospital to see how he's doing. Why don't you come with me? I'll introduce you."

"Akamaru—a dog—he's in the hospital—the people hospital?"

"Sure. I told you—he's special."

Her eyes widened. "Wow! I can't wait to meet him. Does he talk?"

"What!? What are you talking about? He's a dog."

"But you said he was special, and he's a ninja's partner. I thought maybe he'd be able to talk."

"He can't talk, but he and Kiba do communicate on some level beyond talking. The Inuzuka family have a unique relationship with dogs. That's why they can be partners."

"So your friend, Kiba is really the special one?"

"They're both special. They're special together. Quit arguing with me. Just accept everything I tell you without question," he said irritably.

She grinned. "You're yelling at me. Now I really do feel like family. Let's go."

He relaxed, his irritability forgotten at her specious logic. "I did not yell at you, but I don't want to argue about it. There are a few things I need to do before we take off. First I need to get washed, dressed and lunch. Why don't you go out, and pick me up some lunch while I do the other stuff. I'll give you some money."

"Ramen, right?" She jumped off the bed.

"You already know me too well." He put his old, familiar frog purse in her hand. "Here. Take this. It's my lucky purse, so take care of it."

"A frog!" she exclaimed in delight. "It's so cute. I want one."

"I'll remember that when your birthday comes around. Say, when is your birthday, anyway?"

"It's coming up real soon so don't forget. It's October 10."

He started, and stared at her. "What? That's my birthday, too."

"Really? That's funny," she told him in pleased surprise. "What are the chances that two people in the same family would be born on the same day?"

"I'd say that was a really bizarre coincidence." Was that why the Hokage was acting so weird about Naomi? Was there something strange about her? Were all the Uzumaki's misfits of one kind or another?

"It'll be fun to celebrate together—and easy on the memory," she said cheerfully. "I'll never be able to forget your birthday."

"There is that," he agreed. "Here, I've written down the directions to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. By the time you get back, I'll be dressed. After I eat, we'll go over to the hospital."

"Okay. I'll be back soon," she told him as she walked out the door.

He stared after her a moment in deep thought. He was fully awake now, but didn't like the tenor of his thoughts.

Naomi Uzumaki. Were you really who you said you were? What was the Hokage keeping from him? Naomi was getting too entrenched in his life. He really liked her even when she was annoying, childish, and whiny. If she wasn't the real thing, he needed to end their relationship now before it was too late to go back. Although, it might actually already be too late.

Before today was over he needed to get some answers. After the hospital, he needed to have a talk with Tsunade whether she wanted to or not!


	26. More interviews

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXVI. More interviews

"Tell me about your relationship with Moreo Murai, Iwao Iseki. Do you know of anyone who'd want to kill him?"

"Relationship? I had no relationship with him. I barely knew he existed. I know absolutely nothing about him or his enemies. I don't even think I'd be able to recognize him in a lineup," drawled Iwao Iseki as he sat comfortably on the tatami floor with his wife closely beside him.

"Darling, please, don't be so insensitive," Chiyoko Maeda, his wife laid her hand on his arm. "It may seem harsh, but we really had very little to do with the ordinary players. We never socialized with them. As headliners, we never worked with them."

He shrugged. "I can't keep track of every deadbeat Leiko picks up off the street. I've got better things to do with my time—which is just as well considering how frequently they desert us. You really can't get good help these days."

Neji studied the man before him. He'd refined his own supercilious expression to a degree of perfection that was far superior to this man. He didn't allow any of the usual signs of dislike such as a curl of the lip, an arch of the brow, or flair of the nostril to evince. However, he'd felt an extreme dislike for this conceited pretty boy as soon as he'd seen the condescension in his eyes. Faced with the man's blatantly annoying arrogance, he could suddenly appreciate how his own arrogance must have so often annoyed people. Of course, he felt he was supremely more justified to a natural superiority than this man. What was he except some overrated circus performer? He didn't have superior ninjutsu skills bestowed on him from birth. He didn't risk his life on a daily basis to protect his clients or village. He didn't even appear to have a bond with his own troupe. His superiority was only in his own mind not in fact.

Iwao looked very much like his brother except much younger. He had the same white hair, and violet eyes in a thin aesthetic face. Neiji had never bothered to attend a performance of the Iseki Acting Troupe, but Tenten had described it to him on their way to the interviews. He was just as glad he'd never wasted his time or money on such a frivolous pastime. He wondered how such an arrogant man could subdue his conceit enough to hide his pretty face behind a totally concealing mask. He was obviously the type of man who used his looks to every advantage. Why wouldn't use that weapon on his audience as well?

"Don't you even care that a fellow human being has been killed in a completely inhuman fashion?"

He waved his hand airily. "Naturally, any untimely death is tragic. Of course, I shared my brother's grief, but I've had more to say to you than I ever did to Murai. It was a shock, of course, for someone in so close a proximity to me to die, but I've recovered sufficiently."

Even Tenten who'd been gazing at Iwao with sickening admiration since they'd entered the room, looked a little shocked by his callousness.

"Please, my husband, does not mean what he says," Chiyoko pleaded drawing their attention to her beautiful face. She had very white skin, small, perfect features, blue black hair, and pale blue eyes. Her speaking voice was just as melodious as her singing voice. "He was extremely shocked when Leiko told us the news. He protects his feelings behind a mask of indifference only because he feels so deeply. It should be no surprise that a man would hide his feelings. Men must always appear stoic."  
"Chiyoko, these ninja don't need an explanation for my reactions. I would think that they'd appreciate honesty. I can't pretend what I don't feel. Naturally if the victim had been my wife or brother, I would have been devastated, and inconsolable. I can't take every insignificant death to heart."

"We do appreciate honesty—when we find it," Neji said dryly. He had to remind himself that these people were actors. Who knew what was true or false in their behavior? This could all be an elaborate play to distract them from—from what he wasn't certain. He simply had to be aware of the possibility, and report his reactions faithfully.

Iwao smiled. "Have I satisfied your questions?"

"I've only asked one so far. Tell me, have you noticed anything suspicious during your stay in our village."

"Suspicious? How could I possibly be able to distinguish suspicious from normal? I don't know what normal is in your village of—oh, what's the name of this dreary place?"

"Konoha."

"Ah, yes, Konoha. Quaint name. Frankly, I've found your village one of the dullest of its size we've ever stayed in. These odd attacks must be the most exciting thing that's ever happened to you."

"Iwao!" his wife exclaimed before their interviewers could react. "Honesty and tactlessness are two very different things. Please behave yourself. This is an alpha male thing, isn't it?"

"Chiyoko, must you give away all my secrets."

"What do you mean by that Lady Chiyoko?" He chose to ignore her husband.

"My husband doesn't do well when dealing with strong male figures. He must always be the dominant male. You have a very strong aura, Mr.—ninja—" She looked at him in askance.

"You may call me Huyga."

"Huyga," she said lingered on the name in a sweetly appealing voice. "My husband would behave quite differently under the interrogation of your partner. Your command, and bearing must obviously raise his hackles. You threaten his dominance with your very presence. Huyga." Her eyelashes fluttered coyly as she looked at him flirtatiously from her half-shuttered eyes.

Neji knew she was being obsequiously flattering, but still he felt flattered despite himself. When a beautiful woman looked at you with soft, admiring eyes, how could you help but be affected? He was momentarily struck dumb as he gazed deeply into her mesmerizing eyes.

"If we can return to the interview?" Tenten interrupted, her voice dripping with disapproval. "I didn't find your response to the question very satisfactory, Mr. Iseki." She was no longer as affected by the incredible beauty of his face since he'd revealed his true nature in every statement. There was only one male in her life in which she tolerated arrogance only because she believed there was kindness, and caring behind the façade.

He smiled at her caressingly. "For you, I will answer more directly. No. I neither saw nor heard anything in this village to lead me to believe that one of our troupe would be found drained of blood in the near future. Neither my wife nor I venture forth very frequently into the environs of your village. Your shops are pedestrian at best. I save my coins for the larger cities with their wider variety of fine goods."

"What do you do in your spare time?" Tenten took over the questioning while Neji recovered from his stupefication. She was disappointed in his response to the Lady Chiyoko. She'd thought him too intelligent to be taken in by a pretty face. She was not as good at keeping her disapproval in both males in the room from her voice or visage, but she did her best.

"Is that a personal or professional question? I do hope it's personal."

"I have no interest in you personally, Mr. Iseki. My questions are purely professional." After his initial callous responses to Neji's questioning, she'd gotten over her admiration. She was now able to separate admiration for his performance from the man himself. He would have to do a lot more than smile prettily, flatter lavishly or flirt outrageously to recover her good opinion.

"The reason I ask is that the question seems superfluous to your investigation. What I do in my spare time is hardly germane."

"I think you should leave the nature of the questions to my professional judgment. None of your fellow performers have objected. Do you have something to hide, Mr. Iseki?" she asked sweetly.

He smiled admiringly at her. "Only that I might appear a very dull fellow to such an attractive kunoichi. In my spare time, I like to read. Leiki and I write the plays that we perform. I find that reading stimulates my imagination. We don't plagiarize the words of others, but we do build on their ideas."

"I see. What do you do in your spare time, Lady Chiyoko?" With some difficulty she turned her attention to his wife. He was so very easy on the eyes.

"I like to paint. It relaxes me, but I'm no professional in that field. I paint for my own pleasure not for fame or profit."

"Don't be so modest, darling. My wife could be a professional artist if she wished. One day when we retire from the stage, she may find herself a successful new career," he said proudly, and reached over to squeeze her hand. Despite the flirtatious behavior of the two of them to members of the opposite sex, they did display a great affection for one another. Tenten wondered if perhaps flirting was just a part of their acting persona. Maybe it was simply second nature, and not serious.

"Have you witnessed anything suspicious since you've been in Konoha, Lady Chiyoko?"

"No. Nothing. Despite what my husband implied, I find this a charming little village. We've never performed in a hidden village before. I had no idea they even existed. I've never witnessed so many ninja in one place. It's quite exciting. I wish I could observe you in the performance of your duties."

_You are_, Tenten thought dryly, but out loud she said, "You mean fighting? You should return to the village during our chûnin exams. You'd see some remarkable fighting then. Ordinarily, you'd only see us fighting in the pursuance of an enemy or criminal."

"I wish we could stay to see it. It sounds most interesting. When are these chûnin exams?"

"Not until the spring."

Her face fell. "Oh, that's too bad. We couldn't possibly stay that long. I wonder if we shall ever pass through a hidden village again. Are there others?"

"Yes. Many countries have a hidden village which train ninja, but our village is the only one which holds the chûnin exams."

She turned excitedly to her husband. "Wouldn't that make a wonderful story line for a play, Iwao? I wonder how difficult it would be to stage."

"For you, my sweet wife, I will consider it. Now my dear ninja, have you any other questions? We need to prepare for our departure sometime tomorrow—if we shall be allowed to depart?"

Neji stood up with Tenten following suit. He knew when he was being dismissed. He could fight it, but he really didn't have any more questions for these two. They were the last of the interviews. He and Tenten had taken on the specialty acts, the _Super Tanaka Brothers_, the trainer of the _Wonder Dogs_, _Lady Chiyoko_ and the _Amazing Iwao_ while Lee and Konohamaru had taken on the rest of the actors. He wondered if they'd finished by now.

"The Hokage will send word once we've reported the results of our interviews," he said blandly.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you however unfortunate the circumstances. I wish you every success in discovering the perpetrator of these horrible crimes," Lady Chiyoko told them as she led them to the door. Her husband had already dismissed them mentally, and physically by picking up a book, and leaving the courtesies of their departure to his wife.

"We intend to," Neji told her confidently.

"Thank you for your time," Tenten added as they left the house. "Should we wait for Lee and Konohamaru?" she asked as they started down the road towards the ninja complex.

"Lee knows to meet us in the Hokage's office."

They walked together quietly for a few moments before Tenten broke the silence. "She was very beautiful, wasn't she?"

He could pretend to misunderstand, but Tenten wasn't stupid. She'd probably get the wrong idea if he denied it.

"Yes."

"Is she the most beautiful woman you've ever seen?" she persisted. Neji was such a private person, she couldn't help wanting to know what he was thinking. He'd blatantly been affected by the lady's flattery. Did he like all that flirtatiousness? Was that the kind of woman he preferred?

"No."

"Could you elaborate?" she asked in exasperation.

"Why?"

"I'm curious—okay? I've never seen you with a woman. You never talk about dating or anything like that. I've been your team mate for seven years, and there's still so much I don't know about you, Neji. Can't you reveal just a little more about yourself?" she wheedled.

"I don't think about women. I have no intention of getting involved with anyone. I don't intend to perpetuate this cadet branch of the Huyga family," he told her bluntly. Part of that was a lie, but he especially wouldn't tell her which part.

"You seemed rather bowled over by Lady Chiyoko," she observed watching him from the corner of her eye. Let him deny that if he could.

"I was surprised. I don't think a woman has ever attempted to flirt with me before. I needed to absorb and analyze it."

"That's what you call it? You looked completely captivated to me. Dumbstruck, in fact," she said with annoyance. Why would he never answer a straight question with a straight answer?

"Your analytical techniques could use some refining, Tenten. I assure you, to me, the woman was just another woman."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd ever heard her sing. She has the voice of an angel."

"I think you may be mistaken. I've never been fond of music."

"Neji! You are incredibly frustrating. Have I ever told you that?"

"Not in so many words. You're usually very pleasant and cheerful around me."

"I thought you found that annoying."

"Please, Tenten, with Guy and Lee on our team, you could never be the annoying one."

She giggled. "They can be a bit over-the-top."

"Which is a complete understatement," he said dryly. He was enjoying this interchange with Tenten far too much. He had to stop it now. He didn't want to change the slightly distant relationship he maintained with his team mates. He couldn't afford to be emotionally involved with anyone. It would only lead to disappointment, unhappiness, and pain for all concerned. "What did you really think of those two?" he asked slightly changing the subject.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "All along, I couldn't help being aware that they were both actors. I really don't know how much was real, exaggerated or completely misleading."

"I entirely agree with your analysis. I didn't sense anything obviously false or wrong in their responses, but I didn't sense complete sincerity either. Even Iseki's callous honesty held a sense of falseness."

"You're right. It was almost as if he were testing our responses rather than giving us genuine answers."

"That's very perceptive, Tenten. I suppose our real dilemma is deciding whether their behavior hid something reprehensible or was simply acting."

"What do you think?"

"Like you, I'm uncertain. My tendency would be to keep them here a little longer just because I don't like being played, but that wouldn't be a mature response. We'll just have to leave the decision to the Hokage once she's been given our impressions."

"I suppose that's all we can do," she agreed.

They walked silently until they reached the Hokage's office. Tenten really wanted to pursue Neji's reaction to Chiyoko, but knew it would be futile. He didn't want to talk about it, and when Neji didn't want to talk, he didn't talk. He'd just become more withdrawn, and distant to her. She certainly didn't want that. She had so few opportunities to just talk to Neji about non work related topics that she didn't want to blow future opportunities by pissing him off. She'd just have to wait for the next time he seemed more receptive than usual to question him. Whenever that might be.

* * *

Neji and Tenten were able to give the Hokage a complete report of their interviews before Lee and Konohamaru showed up following their own visit to the Iseki Acting Troupe.

"Where have you two been?" Tsunade challenged them. "You didn't stop off anywhere on your way back, did you?"

"No, ma'am, we did not. We completed our assignment as soon as we were able," Lee told her defensively.

"Good. Neji and Tenten have already given me their report. What did the two of you discover?"

They exchanged a glance. "Nothing, ma'am."

"Nothing! All this time, and you have nothing to report to me?"

"We interviewed 4 women and 3 men. We asked each of them the same questions: Have you seen anything suspicious during your stay in Konoha?; What can you tell us about Moreo Murai?; Do you know any reason for anyone to kill him?"

She nodded her head. "Yes, those were the questions we discussed—and no one knew anything?"

"It is true. None of the actors we spoke to had witnessed anything in or around the village that would throw suspicion on anyone. None of them were friends with Moreo Murai. No one knew any reason for Murai to be killed. They validated everything you had learned from the manager, ma'am."

"No one knew anything? No one had seen anything? No one was friends with Murai?" she asked again incredulously. How could they know nothing especially about their fellow performer?

Lee and Konohamaru answered no to every question.

"Damn! That's exactly the same thing Neji and Tenten learned—absolutely nothing. I was hoping you'd give me a reason to keep that troupe in town until we've solved this case. But you've provided me with nothing concrete to base that decision on," she said with displeasure. "I can't possibly justify keeping them here with not one hint of malfeasance."

"I am sorry, ma'am." Lee hung his head.

"Oh, stop it, Lee. It's not your fault. I'm just frustrated. How could this attacker do all this damage in public without anyone witnessing it?"

"He does attack at night when fewer people are around," Neji pointed out.

"I know. I know. I still can't believe he—or she could be lucky enough to avoid detection for so long. Someone has to know something."

"Maybe it's something they don't realize is wrong," Tenten suggested.

"Do you have anything in mind?"

"Not really. It was just an idea."

"It's a good idea. We need to think outside the box."

"How's that?" Konohamaru asked.

"It's the only reason I've entertained the idea of vampires. We need to think of any possibility no matter how bizarre or impossible. If this attacker were the average garden variety criminal, he or she would have made a mistake by now. This attacker is different. How different? What kind of different? I don't know, but once we do know what makes him different we'll be able to find him."

"Or her."

"Yes, Konohamaru. Or her. I might not always say it, but of course I haven't established the sex of the attacker yet. He is merely an expression of convenience."

"What's our next step?" Neji asked.

She sighed. "We'll continue to do what we've been doing. Patrol, investigate every victim, and ask for information from every resident."

"What if there are no more victims?"

"I'd almost prefer that, but how would we really know the attacks are over? Without knowing the reason, we wouldn't know if they might not start up again any day."

"Would you post a curfew if there are more attacks?"

"It might come to that, but that doesn't mean the attacker won't find a way around it. The victims may be random now with chance the only variable. If the attacker has to break into homes to find victims then the weaker members of our village may become the next victims."

Somber seconds passed as this thought sunk in.

"Hokage—" Neji began when he was rudely interrupted.

"Granny Tsunade!" Naruto said loudly as he burst into the room.

"Naruto! What do you think you're doing? That's no way to enter my office." She yelled at him. "Did you ever hear of knocking? Did you ever hear of waiting until I give you permission to enter?"

He looked around at the assembled company, and grinned apologetically. "Ah, sorry. I just assumed you'd be alone."

"I'm sure you remember what that makes you?"

"Yeah," he said sheepishly.

"What? What does that make him?" Komohamaru whispered loudly to Lee.

"An ass," Lee whispered loudly back.

"I don't get it."

"I will explain it to you later."

"We're finished here. Neji, Tenten, Lee, Konohamaru, I'll expect you to help with escort duties this evening. If any new theories occur to you let me know. Dismissed."

They filed out of the room while Naruto waited impatiently shifting from one foot to the other. It wasn't until the door was firmly closed on them, and she'd settled comfortably behind her desk that Tsunade deigned to address Naruto.

"Well, Naruto Uzumaki, what's so all-fired important that you had to interrupt an important briefing?"


	27. Naomi Uzumaki

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXVII. Naomi Uzumaki

What was this feeling, this warmth inside him? Was it happiness? It was different than what he felt when he was with Hinata, but it was in the same family. Yeah, family.

Naruto wasn't much for self-analysis so he couldn't quite put into words why he liked his maybe cousin so much—he just did.

Was it because he might finally have the family he'd never had?

Or was it some indefinable something about Naomi herself?

He didn't know, but what he did know was that as soon as he'd seen her smiling face, and heard her happy voice, he'd realized that he'd missed her, too.

It wasn't like looking in a mirror—he didn't think that they really were that much alike no matter what everyone said—but there was something so familiar and comfortable about her. He felt like he'd known her longer than just a few weeks. Hell, she felt like family. He'd never had one, but he knew what it would feel like. He'd longed for a family for so much of his life having Naomi show up just felt right.

But even he knew this familial feeling was dangerous if she turned out to be other than what she claimed to be. So he had to have some answers. He had to know if she was the real thing. Not that it would change what he felt. If it turned out that she wasn't for real—he almost didn't care. He'd adopt her. She seemed to belong to him now. She was his family now. The only way he wouldn't accept her was if she'd come here to hurt his village. Then he'd stop her, but he'd mourn her loss. Konoha was family, too, in its own way. He'd protect it with his life.

As they walked to the hospital, Naomi chatted nonstop about becoming a ninja. She wanted to learn more ninja stuff. She wanted him to start teaching her ninja stuff again. She wanted him to make time for her again. She needed him to make time for her. She made that clear in every reproachful glance, and every recriminating complaint.

He listened to her prattle indulgently. He nodded, and smiled at appropriate places, but it didn't really matter what she talked about. He just liked hearing her childish, sometimes sweet, sometimes whiny, attention-seeking voice. He remembered what it was like to seek the attention and approval of his elders. He'd been louder, more demanding, and more aggressive than she ever could be. Girls did it a little differently, but the intent was still there. Notice me! Like me! Be with me!

When they were within a stone's throw of the hospital, he finally stemmed the flow of her chatter by interrupting with mock seriousness, "Hey, when we get in there—don't you embarrass me."

"Embarrass you? What do you mean?" she looked up at him in astonishment.

"Don't you get all silly over Kiba like you do Konohamaru."

"_Silly_?! _I_ don't get silly! What are you talking about?" she demanded defensively turning a bright red.

He wagged his finger at her. "You know what I'm talking about. That girly stuff—all flirty and teasing and giggly just because you think he's good-looking."

"I do _not_ do that! I wouldn't even _know_ how to flirt. You're really mean to say that, Naruto." She glared at him.

He held up his hand defensively. "Hey, I just call it as I see it. The way you and Konohamaru carried on the other day made me squirm. I've never heard anything like it before."

She scowled. "That wasn't how it was at all! He talked to you just as much as he did to me. You're exaggerating, Naruto."

He shook his head. "Naomi, Naomi. Naomi. I've seen girls act all giggly and flirty over guys before. I've seen two best friends start hating each other just because they liked the same guy. Don't do it, Naomi. Stay away from boys. They're not worth it."

"What?! Naruto, are you teasing me?"

He grinned. "Maybe just a little, but I still don't want Kiba as a cousin-in-law no matter how good-looking you think he is."

She giggled. "It was just an observation. I'm too young to get married."

They were still laughing and joking about flirting and boys when they entered the hospital lobby, and only stopped when Naruto heard his name uttered softly in a voice he would recognize anywhere. He looked around, and his face lit up. "Hinata! Are you here to visit Akamaru, too?" He reached out to take her hand as she halted beside him.

"Yes, I am. I've been waiting for a half hour. The nurse said he'll be able to receive visitors soon." Ordinarily, she'd only have eyes for Naruto, but she'd seen him enter the hospital in the company of a young girl who looked remarkably like him. She watched curiously as Naomi peeked around Naruto to look just as curiously back.

Naomi couldn't fail to notice the twin goofy expressions on the faces of the two people standing before her. Naruto was in love, and his feelings were obviously reciprocated. She'd known that she'd have to fit into whatever life he'd been living so long without her, but she'd thought he was as alone as she was. She thought he'd be as eager to welcome a family member as she was. She hadn't realized he had a girlfriend she'd have to fit in with, too. Would Hinata, as he'd called her, have trouble accepting her? Was she the jealous type? Would she resent Naruto spending time with anyone but her? Was that why Naruto had kept them apart up until now—never even mentioning her? She took a deep breath. It was time to find out what problems she might have to face to claim her family. She nudged Naruto's arm to remind him she was still there.

He started, and looked down at her. "Oh, yeah. I brought Naomi to see Akamaru, too. She was curious to meet a ninja dog. You two haven't met yet, have you? Hinata, this is Naomi Uzumaki, my new found cousin. Naomi, this is Hinata Huyga, my girlfriend," he announced proudly smiling from one to the other. He threw his arm around Naomi's shoulders to draw her closer while pulling Hinata in with the hand he still held. If these two didn't like each other he didn't know what he'd do. He didn't want to give either one of them up.

He'd intended to wait until the Hokage told him everything was fine to introduce Hinata to Naomi. He'd wanted their first meeting to be staged just right with each girl prepared for the meeting. He didn't want any surprises to spoil their relationship. Certainly not like this, impromptu, in public. He hadn't even told Naomi about Hinata. Now here they all were so he couldn't avoid it, but he was even more eager to get some answers from the Hokage as soon as possible. There was no going back now.

Hinata glowed from the introduction. He'd actually qualified her as his girlfriend not just a friend as she'd expected. He really did want everyone to know about them. She immediately dismissed her worries after their parting earlier that morning. He hadn't changed his mind about staying with her because he didn't like her anymore as she'd feared. His lame excuse about wanting to sleep in his own bed may actually have been legitimate. She had to quit doubting him, and just accept that he really did like her. She stood closely beside him drawn into the circle of his affection. He released her hand and put his other arm around her shoulders, looking happily from one to the other. Hinata smiled welcomingly at the girl that looked so like her beloved. She wouldn't be so hard to like.

Naruto stood as the center piece of their little love fest for only a minute, before he remembered that they were practically in public. He dropped his arms, affectionately rubbed the top of Naomi's head, and squeezed Hinata's hand before taking a step back for the girls to talk to each other.

"Wow! Naruto never told me he had a girlfriend," Naomi studied her with wide-eyed curiosity. Hinata wasn't at all what she'd expected in Naruto's girlfriend. After meeting Sakura, she'd thought that might be the kind of girl that he'd go for, but watching Naruto and Hinata together, she thought they really looked like an even cuter couple. They were actually foils for each other with her dark, delicate looks, and his bright, loud appearance. If she was nice, too, then Naomi would be happy with this new almost relative. "You're pretty. You've got awesome eyes. All the kunoichi Naruto knows are pretty."

"Naomi! I told you not to embarrass me. That goes double for my girlfriend," Naruto admonished as he watched Hinata's face grow red. He felt his own getting warm as well.

"I'm sorry. Are you embarrassed? I thought everybody liked compliments. I sure do. My new cousin never compliments me," she ended with a grumble.

"Is that true? Never," Hinata looked in askance at Naruto who had the grace to flush even more than before. "Even if he doesn't say them, I'm sure he thinks very nice things about you." She couldn't help wondering what other kunoichi Naruto had introduced to Naomi. Was she the last one to meet his cousin? Why was that? Did Naruto think she wouldn't like his cousin?

Naruto scowled. "C'mon, Naomi, cut me some slack. You haven't been around long enough for me to notice the good stuff yet. All you've done so far is complain about your work, flirt with Konohamaru, and wake me up from a really nice sleep."

She opened her mouth to hotly deny it all when a voice from behind her broke into the conversation.

"That was a big mistake. He really needs his beauty sleep," Kiba greeted them as he sauntered towards the group from across the lobby. He wasn't going to be shy around the two of them. He had to jump in, and try to get his relationships with these two back to where they were before his stupid, jealousy had caused problems. Insulting Naruto seemed just the ticket.

"Hey!" Naruto began, but what response could he make that wouldn't make him look stupid or conceited. _I don't need beauty sleep. I'm handsome enough without sleep_. _Put a sock in it. Shut up, Kiba! _None of those responses seemed clever enough.

"Hey, what? Aren't you going to introduction me to this attractive young lady who looks like she gets plenty of beauty sleep?"

Damn! Even Kiba knew how to pour on the charm. Was it Naomi that brought this out in them or did they come by it naturally, and he'd just never noticed? Maybe they learned it in a special class at the ninja academy that he skipped out of thinking it would be boring.

"I thought you two had already met. Didn't you give her directions to my place? Weren't you a part of making me lose my sleep?"

"I gave her directions, but we didn't formally meet. Hello, I'm Kiba Inuzuka. Naruto's sometime friend, and Hinata's most time team mate."

"Hi, I'm Naomi Uzumaki, Naruto's cousin. We've come here to visit Akamaru."

"He'll enjoy that. He's loves pretty girls."

Remembering Naruto's teasing, Naomi tried not to simper, and act girlish, but it was nice being complimented by a handsome guy. She settled for quiet, blushing so Naruto wouldn't tease her in front of Kiba.

Naruto decided it time to change the subject. He'd only been partly kidding when he'd told Naomi that her flirting made him squirm. If he'd thought any of the guys were in earnest, he'd seriously consider taking each one of them aside for a strict parental-like chat. "Say, Kiba, has Akamaru told you anything about the attack?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't remember much about it. He told me the who was killed man just suddenly appeared in front of him, and fell down. Before he could do anything, he felt a pain in his neck. He didn't see anyone else, and he couldn't remember anything until he heard you talking to him, and felt you pressing the wounds on his side."

"That's weird. How could someone just sneak up on Akamaru? I mean—he's got super senses. He must have heard or smelled something."

Kiba shook his head. "I wish I knew."

"Did he really talk to you?" Naomi asked curiously.

Kiba smiled. "Sorta. I do most of the talking, but he understands me so he can indicate when I'm on the right track. I know him well enough to ask the right questions. Between us we manage to get the important information across."

"Akamaru's incredibly intelligent. He and Kiba have been partners since he was a pup," Hinata added.

"Since Kiba was a pup?" Naruto inquired innocently.

Naomi and Hinata giggled.

"Very funny, Naruto," Kiba said good-naturedly. "But that's exactly what Inuzuka's call their children. We identify completely with our canine brethren."

"Do you suppose Akamaru can have visitors now?"

"Yeah. That's why I came out here. I heard Hinata was waiting. I hadn't realized she had company. C'mon, Naomi, I'll introduce you to my partner, and best friend." Kiba gestured for Naomi to follow him, and they walked ahead.

"Hinata?" Naruto said softly, and held her back from immediately joining the other two.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Could you look after Naomi for me for a little while? I need to see the Hokage. I'd take Naomi with me, but she's playing hokey from filing right now. I don't want to get her in trouble with the Hokage."

"Of course, I can. Will you be long?"

"I don't know. I hope not."

"I can take her home with me if you don't get back before we finish our visit with Akamaru."

"Could you? That'll be great. You're a sweetheart." He bent down, and kissed her exuberantly.

"Am I?" she asked clutching his collar to keep him close to her.

He kissed her again less dramatically, but just as enthusiastically. "I guess I don't tell you that often enough. Remind me the next time we're alone to go into detail about just how sweet I think you are," he said with a grin when he finally released her.

"I will," she said blushing.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said, squeezed her hand then took off.

She sighed, and watched him disappear before she trailed in Kiba and Naomi's wake. She loved him so much. She was bursting to tell him so. When would he be ready to hear it?

* * *

After embarrassing himself in front of Neji's team, Naruto held his tongue until the Hokage was ready to talk to him. He didn't care so much what Lee, Konahamaru or Tenten thought about his impulsive behavior, but Neji always looked at him in that annoyingly superior way that only got worse when Naruto did something stupid, impulsive or loud. He knew that that was just Neji's way, but he still didn't like it when it was directed at him. Sometimes he'd like the chance to wipe that supercilious expression off his face just once more like he did six years ago. Of course, Neji had improved a lot since then. He might not be so easy (ha, ha) to beat this time around. Naruto sure wouldn't mind trying especially after Neji ignored him completely on the way out of the Hokage's office not giving him so much as a sneer in acknowledgment. That really burned him up. He'd always thought being completely ignored was worse than being jeered, sneered or leered at.

"Well, Naruto Uzumaki, what's so all-fired important that you had to interrupt an important briefing?" Tsunade finally asked.

"I want to know what you've found out about Naomi," he demanded. "It's been a while. You must know something by now."

She hesitated before answering. She'd struggled for days wondering what to tell him. All she really had was crazy suspicions, and wild guesses. She didn't really know anything detrimental to Naruto forming a relationship with Naomi. She'd been able to observe the child closely in the time Naomi had lived with her. She neither witnessed nor sensed anything sinister, but she wasn't willing to completely accept the child—not until she knew more. But was it necessary for Naruto to share her doubts and suspicions?

In the end, she'd settled for a half truth—which also meant a half lie. Would she ultimately regret her decision? She had to trust her intuition, but in reality only time would tell.

"I've run the tests more than once just to be certain," she began cautiously.

He waved his hand impatiently. "Yeah? And? C'mon, Granny Tsunade, I need to know."

"Why has it become so important to know right this minute?"

"I've been waiting to do it, but I was finally forced to introduce her to Hinata. I wanted to be sure it was okay before I introduced them."

"I see. Well, then I have good news for you. There really is no doubt that Naomi is related to you. You can safely call her your cousin, Naruto." The real possibility of a deeper relationship would remain Tsunade's secret until she could discover more about Naomi's past. This much of the story would hold Naruto for now.

He'd been so tense waiting for an answer that once he heard it the relief literally knocked him to his knees.

"Naruto! Are you alright?"

He pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. "Yeah, yeah. It was just a shock. I thought for sure you were gonna tell me I couldn't have her as my family."

She smiled sympathetically. "I like her, too. I'm glad the tests were positive. However, I'd still like to know more about her life up until now, and why Yukari Sarutobi was taking care of her. I'm greatly puzzled by the situation. Once most of the ninja return to the village, I'd like to send someone up to that village she was raised in—"

"Kuzu."

"Yes, Kuzu. I'd like to know if Yukari left anything behind to explain her complete absence from Konoha. Why she was thought to be dead? Why she was raising Naomi? And why she spent the last 18 years of her life in a tiny, obscure corner of the Fire Country? I hate mysteries. I'd feel more comfortable with this one solved."

"I want to be the one to go," he told her resolutely. If there was a secret about Naomi, he wanted to be the one to discover it. She was his family now.

She studied his determined face. She couldn't protect him forever. He was—or practically was a grown man. If there was a problem, he needed to know.

"Yes. I thought Kakashi, also, and maybe Sakura, as well as Naomi herself. But it could be months until we can spare any of you for this."

"Whenever. I'll go. Maybe you could think about sending Hinata with us instead of Sakura. A Byakugan might be a great talent to have when uncovering secrets," he suggested innocently.

"Don't try to be sly with me, young man. I think I know your motivations better than you do yourself. We'll see when the time comes. Neji would work just as well as Hinata, don't you think?"

"Granny Tsuande—" he began to protest.

"What have I told you about treating me with more respect, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"I don't know. I can't be expected to remember every lecture. There're too many," he told her cheekily.

"Then remember this—if you want a favor from someone, you should treat them nicely."

"A favor? I don't want a fav—oh, yeah." It dawned on him that he was asking for a favor a moment ago suggesting that Hinata make up the team to Kuzu. "Okay. I get it. Sorry, Hokage."

She smiled. "If you can't respect me, at least respect the position I hold."

He flushed. "Hey, I don't not respect you, Hokage. It isn't like that!"

"I think you've never forgiven me for turning down the position of Hokage originally. It had been very selfish of me, but you made me see the error of my ways, Naruto."

"Me?"

"That's right. You reminded me how important Konoha, its people, and the vision of every Hokage before me were. I thank you for that. Now is there anything else before you rejoin Naomi?"

"How did you know about that?"

"I knew she'd gone as soon as she left the records room. When I heard her asking directions to your place, I knew she'd be safe enough with you. Just bring her home before you set off for your patrol duty."

"Do you know everything?" he asked in amazement.

"No, but I do most things. Tell me something I don't know. Surprise me."

He thought a moment taking this challenge seriously. "Did you know Naomi and I have the same birthday—October 10th?"

Her eyes widened slightly. "No, I didn't realize that."

"Weird, unh?"

"Could be. However coincidences of that nature have been known to happen. Take care of her, Naruto. Don't tell her I knew she'd escaped my clutches. Let that be a surprise for her the next time she escapes."

He grinned. "Okay," he agreed then left to try and catch up with Hinata and Naomi at the hospital.

Tsunade watched him go allowing a frown to mar her perfect face only after he'd left the room. "_Yukari_," she said angrily to the closed door. "_What have you done_?"

* * *

"How are my two favorite ladies getting along without me?" Naruto asked when he found Hinata and Naomi waiting for him outside Akamaru's room.

They looked at each other then giggled.

He put his hands on his hips looking back and forth between them. "I guess that means you are. Is that good or bad for me?"

"How could it be bad for you?"

"Don't you want us to get along?"

"Sure. Of course, I do unless you start conspiring against me."

"We'd never do that!" Hinata denied.

"Maybe," Naomi agreed with a grin, and looked at Hinata.

He eyed them suspiciously. "I don't know about that. You keep looking at each other with secrets in your eyes and smiles."

"It's a good secret. Not at all a conspiracy," Hinata assured him.

"How can I be sure of that?"

"You'll know very soon."

"Yeah, like in nine days," Naomi added then clapped her hand over her mouth

Naruto grinned. "Nine days, unh?" In nine days it would be October 10th. Ah! That was a good secret. He wouldn't spoil it. "Okay, ladies, I'll let you keep your secret this time, but remember, I hate nasty surprises."

"What about good surprises?"

"That goes without saying. Good surprises are great. Say, Hinata, can Naomi have dinner with us? I told the Hokage I'd look after her until our patrol."

"Of course. Three are as easy to cook for as two."

"You're in for a treat, Naomi. Hinata's a great cook."

"What are we having?"

"That's not polite, Naomi." Although it was something Naruto himself would have asked.

"It's alright. What would you like?" Hinata asked.

"Anything. I'm not fussy."

"How about gyouza?"

"That sounds good. What's for dessert?"

"Naomi!" Naruto reprimanded as he followed his two ladies out of the hospital.

He listened to their discussion of the dinner menu as he walked behind them, his thoughts wandering to other things.

He couldn't do anything more about Naomi. The Hokage told him to consider her his cousin with investigation to follow so he'd accept that. In the meantime, he had to find a way to make time for Naomi and Hinata separately and together. They needed to end the mystery of these attacks so he could have more time with his ladies.

Maybe tonight something would happen on their watch to help them solve this mystery. Maybe he'd be the one to catch the bad guy. Yeah, he'd like that. The attacks seemed to be escalating, so there could be another one tonight. He could use another win under his belt. He needed all the help he could get to make himself acceptable as the next Hokage. Saving the village could be just the ticket.

He wore a wide grin on his face all the way to Hinata's house as he dwelled in his really great dream life walking behind his beautiful girlfriend and cute cousin. Despite everything, life was pretty good right now.


	28. While Naruto was sleeping

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXVIII. While Naruto was sleeping

Although his personal life seemed to be going great—he had a girlfriend, he had a cousin, and they were getting along like sisters—Naruto's professional life seemed to be a complete dud.

Absolutely nothing happened during his next night on patrol—not even something suspicious.

Disappointed, after the end of his shift, he moodily walked Hinata home with his hands in his pockets, his eyes on the ground, and his feet scuffing the stone walk in angry kicks.

Hinata had never seen him quite like this before. She walked quietly beside him almost all the way home holding an internal debate wondering what was wrong and what she should do. Was it her—no—no—she had to stop immediately assuming she was the problem. Continuing to doubt and mistrust him would surely drive him away. Besides, it was a little conceited to think that she was at the center of Naruto's every thought, behavior or mood. She couldn't handle the responsibility or scrutiny if that were the case. She needed to support, comfort or sympathize with him in whatever mood he indulged. Bravely, she decided to ask him about it.

"Naruto?" she began too softly. She started again. "Naruto? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said brusquely, kicking a stone with brute force out of his path. He didn't want to dump his foul mood on her. It was too early in their relationship for her to see just how moody he could get.

She tugged on his sleeve. "Naruto, I know something's troubling you. You'll feel better if you talk about it. Please, tell me."

He stopped, turned his body to face her, but kept his face averted, and his eyes on the ground. He shouldn't talk about it, but once she'd offered to listen, he just couldn't keep still. He really wasn't any good a keeping quiet about his problems. He was a sucker for sympathetic attention. He wanted to be soothed, and stroked especially by Hinata.

"I wanted—needed _something_ to happen tonight. Not anybody getting hurt—not _really_ hurt, but I wanted to _save_ someone—_capture_ the bad guy—_save_ the village. I wanted to be Konoha's _hero_," he told her in a low intense voice.

"Oh, Naruto." She slid her arms through his still hanging from his pockets, and hugged him tightly. "You are a hero. You've always been a hero. I've always thought you a hero."

He still didn't take his hands out of his pockets to return her hug, but she felt his body slump slightly in her grip.

"Just to you," he denied. "I'm nobody else's hero."

"That's not true!" She stroked his back comfortingly. "Naruto, you've saved lots of people during your ninja career, and you'll save lots more. Maybe this time it's someone else's turn to be a hero. Maybe this time we'll all be heroes. Remember, we're all in this together. It's all of our jobs to protect the village."

"I know. I know. It's not just my job. I know it's selfish—but I just wanted it to be _me._" He sighed, and finally hugged her back. "I just need to—" he stopped unwilling to admit his real need to her.

But she knew what he meant. "Prove yourself to the village," she completed his sentence.

He buried his face in her hair to whisper in her ear, "Yeah."

"Oh, Naruto." She hugged him even tighter. "You've proven yourself so many times—too many times to count. If the village doesn't know your worth by now I'll—I'll go around, and tell everyone I see just how wonderful, heroic, and important you are to this village."

He laughed softly. "You will? You? Sweet, shy, Lady Hinata, daughter of the great Huyga clan, will tell everyone in this village all that about lowly _me_?"

"Yes, I will. You are not lowly! For you I'll overcome my shyness. I'll be your campaign manager. I'll ring your praises all over the village," she told him shyly hiding her face in his shoulder. She'd do that for him if he needed her to. She'd brave anything for Naruto.

"My campaign manager, eh? What office am I running for?" He grinned at the idea.

"Why, Hokage, of course."

"Duh! I should have guessed that, but I don't think that'll happen any time soon. The Fifth has years and years to go yet unless another Orochumaru shows up in the village to take her down. I don't think we've got any renegade ninja on the loose just now."

"If we did, you'd save the Hokage," she told him stoutly.

He grinned wryly. "I doubt whether the Fifth would need my help."

"Then we go back to plan A. We'll have years to campaign—starting now. Don't forget this attacker hasn't been caught yet. In two days, you'll have another chance to catch him—or her. Maybe you'll come face to face with him then."

He perked up immediately. "Yeah, that's right. I've still got a chance. Thanks, Hinata. You're terrific." He squeezed her back then slid his hands down her arms to hers detaching them from behind the back of his jacket. He retained one pulling her back down the path to her house. "C'mon. It's time you were home dreaming about me."

"How did _you_ know?" she asked in embarrassed surprise.

"That you dream about me? Because I dream about you. I hope it's mutual."

"Oh, Naruto, it is," she whispered, and all too soon found herself at her door.

He kissed her good-night/morning, and made plans to come by sometime in the afternoon with Naomi in tow. He'd explained earlier that he needed to spend some of his time with his cousin. Hinata understood. They agreed that their daytime activities would include Naomi, but the nights that weren't already scheduled by the Hokage, belonged to them alone.

He was in a much better mood now. Hinata always knew how to make him feel better. He loved that about her. _Love?_ That word gave him something to think about right up until his head hit the pillow. Then he was dead to the world, and all rational thought until sometime in the early afternoon.

* * *

He checked in at the ninja complex after lunch to find out if anything had happened while he was unconscious.

He felt a little guilty at his relief in discovering that nothing had. He still wanted to be a part of the capture. He wanted to make his mark now not over a long period of time.

He asked the Hokage for permission to take Naomi off for the afternoon. In the past, it never would have occurred to him to ask, but an older, wiser Naruto was beginning to realize that there were some limits he shouldn't cross. If he wanted Naomi to be accepted in the village, he had to change his ways, and teach her that it wasn't the thing to play hokey, disappear without permission, and generally do anything to incur the Fifth's displeasure. It felt a little strange to be on the adult side of the fence, but still acting like an adult felt kinda good. He thought the Third would be laughing in his grave if he could see Naruto behaving responsibly. Who'd a thunk it?

Naturally, permission was granted. In fact, the Hokage seemed glad to get rid of that _whiny, complaining, disruptive teenager_, as she worded it, before her files were completely destroyed.

Naruto just grinned as he left the room. It was nice to hear those words applied to someone else for a change.

He took Naomi over to Hinata's house. He didn't tell her that he planned to put her to work. He'd leave it to Hinata to make it seem fun for her. She was good at that sort of thing. She certainly made work seem more fun to him.

While he worked on finishing the hole for her pond, Hinata and Naomi picked through a huge pile of rocks for decoration surrounding the pond. He grinned as he listened to them giggle and whisper together. He assumed they were making plans for his birthday surprise. He really looked forward to it. No one had ever made a fuss over his birthday before. There were a lot of pleasant surprises involved with having a girlfriend.

Once he'd completed the hole to his satisfaction, the three of them lined it to prevent the water from being absorbed back into the ground. Since it wasn't a natural hole fed by a natural water source extra work was necessary to force the hole to retain water. When they were finished, they partially filled the new pond with water to check for leaks over the next few days. If the water didn't disappear then they'd add soil, and rocks to the bottom before filling it up completely.

They sat on Hinata's veranda drinking cold drinks after their hard work.

"What's the next step for your water garden, Hinata?" Naruto asked as he relaxed looking out over the yard behind Hinata's little house. Hinata's little corner of the estate was larger than many properties in Konoha. The main house was well-hidden behind a small cluster of pine tree in the center of the large Huyga estate. There were other small houses on the outskirts of the estate for cadet branches. Those were hidden out of view by trees, too.

"I have a carpenter working on an arched bridge. He took the measurements after you dug most of the hole the other day. That installation is all I have formally planned for now. I could place the stones Naomi and I sorted decoratively around the perimeter after that. Neither fall nor winter are good times for new plants to flourish so I won't do any planting until spring.."

"So our job on your water garden is practically finished for now?" He wondered if there was anything else she needed him to do—make repairs, paint her house. He would do whatever was necessary to ensure her comfort not exactly in payment for her cooking and mending for him, but simply because he wanted to help her. He enjoyed the work. He had too much energy to be a real sluggard even on his days off.

"What about koi?" Naomi interrupted. "You're stocking your pond, right? Koi would look so pretty swimming around under a bridge."

"Of course, I do want koi, but I'll need water plants in the pond for the fish, and to attract insects for my little ecosystem. I'll have to wait for spring to do that, too."

"It'll be so nice when it's finished. I wish I had my own water garden," Naomi sighed.

"You'll need a job so you can make money first," Naruto pointed out practically. He was thinking the same thing. He'd always been a fairly thrifty guy, but he wondered if he had enough money to buy a house, and all the amenities that went with it. He'd like to take care of his cousin himself rather than have her stay forever with the Hokage. He'd also been thinking of the other aspects of homeownership—like a family of his own—but those were still idle, unformed thoughts.

"Can I get a job now?" she asked eagerly. Anything would be better than filing.

"You already have a job," Naruto grinned, reading her mind.

She pouted. "That's not a real job. I don't get paid. I wouldn't even do it if I got paid. I want a more interesting job than filing."

"An interesting job? You couldn't get an interesting job without an education or apprenticeship. You'd only get the kind of jobs nobody else wanted—like filing. You need to go to school first."

Naomi wrinkled her nose. "I'm too old for school, aren't I? How old were you when you two became ninja?"

"We were both accepted as genin when we were 12. We were in the same class," Hinata told her.

"See? I'm way too old. Couldn't I be a ninja now? You could teach me stuff."

"I'm not a qualified teacher yet. You don't know enough to be accepted as a genin. If you really want to be a ninja, you have to go to ninja school—and graduate. It's not so easy. Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I never really thought about anything else. Aunt Yukari only talked about ninja training. She only taught me stuff that would be useful for ninjas. I didn't think I had a choice." She looked upset.

"Don't worry about it yet," Hinata said soothingly, and patted her hand. "When the teachers return, you can try ninja school. Iruka sensei is very nice. But, if you don't like it, I'm sure Naruto will be able to find you another apprenticeship."

"Yeah, sure," he felt a little guilty about telling her ninja school was hard. "You know, Naomi, I almost flunked out of ninja school myself," he confessed. Enough time had passed that his memories of that time hardly bothered him anymore. He'd certainly come a long way from that boy who couldn't perform basic jutsus without making the entire class fall off their chairs laughing.

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yep. I couldn't do the most basic jutsu—henge no jutsu. Everybody laughed when I performed it during the exam, I was so bad. I flunked the graduation exam several times because of that jutsu."

"It's one of his best jutsus now," Hinata added proudly. She and Naruto exchanged a smile.

"How did you finally pass?"

He couldn't tell her the real story about how he was tricked into stealing a forbidden scroll. Even Hinata didn't know that story. So he temporized. "I worked even harder, and proved myself to Iruka sensei. He passed me after a special exam. That's how."

"What would you have done if you'd failed?" Naomi asked curiously.

He sobered. That wasn't a memory he cared to revisit. He'd had more than a few anxious moments after his last exam failure. That's what made him so ripe for Mizuki's treachery. "I really don't know. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't be a ninja. I love it. I can't imagine doing anything else. But I worked hard to get where I am. You'll need to work hard to catch up, if being a ninja is what you really want to do."

She looked back and forth between the two professional ninjas sitting beside her. Could she do it too? Was it what she really wanted? He'd certainly given her something to think about. Was she ready for the hard work involved? What else could she do if she wasn't a ninja? She just knew that she hated filing, and she'd loved the training Naruto had given her so far. Surely, that meant something?

After dinner, Naruto took Naomi home, then washed and changed for escort duty in the evening. He'd found out earlier that the Iseki Acting Troupe was leaving later that night so escorts weren't needed for the theater. That just left the bars, and night clubs.

This time he and Hinata were stationed at separate locations. Once the Hokage had heard the report on the behavior of the bar denizens to the kunoichi, she'd decided to have only male escorts at those locations. He approved of that decision even though he wouldn't see anything of Hinata during their escort duty. He hadn't liked what he'd heard from that report either. He'd been ready to beat up a few drunks even if they didn't remember any of their behavior towards Hinata the following morning. He would have if he'd learned about it that night, but she hadn't said a word to him about it at the time.

He was home and in bed by midnight which seemed too early after his previous late nights. However, he managed to fall asleep fairly quickly.

It wasn't until he reported to the ninja complex the next morning that he learned of the excitement Neji's team had experienced while he was sleeping.

* * *

"I really gotta go," Udon explained apologetically as he hurried along to keep up with his mentor's clipped stride.

"Fine. Just hurry up," Neji told him impatiently. Why was he paired up with such an inexperienced chûnin? Didn't the boy know better than to overeat and drink before guard duty? Wasn't it common sense? Neji had never been that stupid or thoughtless at the same age.

"Moegi cooked dinner for me. She's not a very good cook. I think she put too many spices in the sauce. They don't agree with me," he continued giving Neji anxious glances. He'd never been comfortable as Neji's partner. He could never seem to do anything right for Neji. He was getting lectured all the time. Konahamaru was so lucky to be partnered with Lee, and Moegi with Tenten. Why couldn't he have had a nicer partner? Why couldn't they have been assigned to Naruto's team?

"I don't need the details. Be quick about it. We should have returned to the front gate by now. I'll wait for you out here."

It was after two in the morning. They'd walked to the ninja complex from their patrol area because that was the only place Neji was certain they'd find open public toilets. 

Unfortunately, it was in the opposite direction to the front gate. He didn't like being the last group to return. Maybe it was anal of him, but he infinitely preferred being early to being late. He was rarely late for anything, and it made him irritable to wait for others. His chûnin partner succeeded in irritating him even more than anyone including Naruto Uzumaki.

While Udon went inside, Neji stood close to but not leaning against the wall. He wasn't relaxed. He couldn't relax. He was stood tensely with his arms crossed tightly against his chest, and his legs locked in a military stance. He looked out onto the darkness around him just waiting.

As usual at this time of morning, it was very quiet. In fact, on their patrol the noise his chûnin partner had made just walking was almost the only sound in the night. He'd gone to a great deal of trouble to teach Udon to move quietly, but the boy seemed extremely slow to pick up stealth skills. He'd had to constantly admonish him to work harder every time they were paired, and the boy seemed to be getting worse not better.

He wished now that he'd chosen Konohamaru to partner instead. However, at the time that chûnin had seemed too much like Naruto Uzumaki to be a suitable partner. He knew a Naruto type would be impossible to guide or train or endure so he'd taken the other boy. Maybe he should have taken the girl only she hadn't seemed any better. She hadn't evinced any of the quiet, cheerful, confidence that Tenten did. She'd seemed more like Sakura Haruno at that age full of foolish, girly noise. He didn't care for excitable girls. Why couldn't today's kunoichi be calm, skilled, and competent like Tenten? Why did the other kunoichi just irritate him no matter what they did? Even the Fifth had a loud, temper that he found undignified, and unprofessional. No one but Tenten seemed to meet his exacting standards of kunoichi behavior.

Analyzing the chûnin his team had been foisted with, he reluctantly had to admit that he'd probably picked the best of the bunch. The quality of ninjas had really deteriorated since he'd been a chûnin. That sad fact didn't bode well for the future of ninjas in Konoha.

As he stood just waiting in the still darkness, he thought he heard a door softly close. Ordinarily, that sound wouldn't be alarming even at this time of morning, but since he was here with nothing else to do he decided to take it seriously. He engaged his Byakugan, and scanned the business area of Konoha.

He focused and scanned each building slowly and thoroughly. He didn't see anything unusual until his eyes reached the bank down the street. He was immediately alerted by what he witnessed there.

Inside what should have been a dark, empty building was extremely suspicious activity. There was one small light glowing within. It was placed on the ground so its light wouldn't reach the windows. In its meager glow three people moved in a furtive manner in and out of the vault in the center of the building. Another person rocked nervously at his station at the front of the building overlooking the main street while yet another paced impatiently at the back door.

Five were all he counted as he watched.

Five people may or may not have been more than he could handle on his own, but he decided to err on the side of caution. He radioed his team.

"Lee, Tenten, leave your chûnin to guard the front gate. I need you. Something's not right at the bank. There are five people inside the bank. There's one watch at the front of the bank so stay close to the building next door until I tell you to move in." He spoke softly, but decisively. "I'll take the watch at the back door. Wait for my signal."

He ran into the ninja complex to tell Udon to wait there for him. The boy was just clueless enough to come out calling his name, and alerting those in the bank to their presence. That unobservant behavior was another Naruto Uzumaki trait he'd witnessed regularly in the up and coming genin and chûnin. What was Iruka Umino teaching at that school these days?

At the back of the bank building, he was able to get fairly close due to the lack of windows. When he thought Lee and Tenten were in place, he called them on the radio.

"Are you ready? Good. There's still one person at the front door, one at the back, and three at the vault. Take out the one at the front door then head for the vault. Break in the door if you have to. I'll do the same at the back door_. Go now_."

Fortunately for him, the back door was unlocked. He quietly opened the door so he could take his quarry by surprise.

He could see the man inside turn towards the front of the building as Lee and Tenten crashed through the front door.

Neji ran forward, and chopped the man in the neck before he could take more than two steps.

In satisfaction, he watched as the man collapsed in an untidy heap at his feet.  
He still had his Byakugan engaged so he was able to quickly turn on the interior lights for his team mates.

Three men were running at him from the vault area. Lee and Tenten were right behind them. He stood in their path, so they stopped in confusion. They were taken down by himself and his team without so much as a fight. The men had been either too busy trying to escape to fight, or they had no fighting skills.

With his adrenalin pumping, and geared up for a fight it had been somewhat disappointing to win the battle so easily. If he'd known how lame these five bank robbers were, he would have taken them down himself without bothering Lee and Tenten. He almost wished he weren't such a cautious man. Naruto Uzumaki certainly would have leapt first, and called for backup later. Not that he wanted to emulate Naruto, but he sometimes regretted his need to act logically—especially when his logic made him look weak.

"Tie their hands behind their backs. When they come to we'll take them over to the ninja complex, and lock them up," he ordered brusquely.

"Who are these guys? Do you recognize them?" Tenten asked as she trussed up one of the men.

"No, I don't."

"I am not certain, Neji, but I think these men are the monks from the Order of the Way of Horse," Lee said as he dragged the man from the front of the building back to where the others were lying, and tied him up with the rest.

"Why do you think that?"

"I have had them described to me. Kiba had a very interesting story of his meeting with the group. These men look exactly like the description. They are bald. They are wearing robes. There are five of them. I know of no other group of this description in the village besides the monks," Lee explained.

"That makes sense. You're probably right, Lee. I wonder if we have our attacker as well as bank robbers. Wouldn't that be a coup for our team? I'd better let the Hokage know what's happening. Someone will have to guard the bank until the door can be fixed."

He apprised the Hokage who'd been waiting impatiently for a report of the outcome of their bank attack. She monitored the radio most nights. She needed very little sleep, and until the attacker was caught or the more experienced ninja returned to the village she couldn't rest for very long at any time night or day. If she could, she wouldn't sleep at all, but that was beyond even her special ninja skills.

As the bank robbers began to arouse, they were stood up against the wall. While they were unconscious, Lee and Neji had stripped the three from the vault of the ill-gotten gains hidden in deep pockets inside their robes. Tenten had returned the money in several trips to the vault while the others monitored their captives.

"Tenten, I'd like you to stay and guard the bank. I'll send Udon to help you. He's at the ninja complex now. Lee and I will take the prisoners to lock up, and meet the Hokage there. Lee can return to the front gate afterwards to acquaint the genin with our new arrangements for the rest of the night."

Neither Tenten nor Lee had anything to add to his orders. They were used to taking orders from Neji when Guy was away. He was the natural leader of the group whenever Guy was absent. Besides neither Lee nor Tenten had any ambitions for leadership of their present team. They were both too good-natured to even attempt to thwart either Neji or Guy. Leave that to the Naruto's and Kakashi's of the world. They preferred a peaceful coexistence to an irritated or irritating leader.

* * *

Tsunade stared at the man sitting across from her in the ninja complex interrogation room. Shikamaru and Neji stood guard behind her with Lee and Choji outside to lull the prisoner into a feeling that she needed protection. If he underestimated her abilities as well as the intelligence of her _guards_ so much the better. However, if warranted she'd love to give him a demonstration of her power. With non-ninja a threat was often all that was necessary to achieve cooperation, but on occasion she had totally annihilated a few tables with a single blow to make a point.

The man looked stubborn enough to make tricks a necessity in getting him to talk. He was bald obviously by design since a dark stubble of hair covered his head which matched the beard sprouting on his face. His monk's robes were wrinkled and ill-kempt, but that might have been due to the hours he spent in his cramped cell. His arms were folded protectively across his 

chest. His mouth was set in mutinous lines, his chin was thrust out denoting intractability, and his eyes were narrowed and leery.

He'd already identified himself as Yuu Higa, head monk of the Order of the Way of the Horse, but that was all the information he'd volunteered. She intended to keep all five of the monks separated not allowing them any converse so she could play one against the other. It was a good method of interrogation that had worked well in the past. It was merely time consuming with so large a group. Why couldn't criminals caught in the act simply confess at once to their crimes? She'd be willing to reduce time from their sentence if they'd save her the same. However, that wasn't something she could actually promise up front. She didn't want the reputation of being soft or slovenly in the execution of her duties.

Since he was being mulish, she by-passed the obvious questions, and went straight for the important ones. "Why did you find it necessary to attack and kill innocent people just to rob our bank? Was it a ploy to distract our attention? It wasn't very successful, was it?"

His eyes flashed in alarm. "We had nothing to do with that!"

"What are you denying? The bank robbery, the attacks, or the killing?"

"The attacks and the killing—I mean—" he halted in confusion suddenly realizing what his omission had admitted to.

"Well, you could hardly deny the robbery considering we caught three of you with your pockets full of our citizen's money, and all of you trespassing."

"I'm not talking."

"You've already talked quite a bit. I'm sure your confederates will do their share. We'll have the complete story by the end of the day. I may even be willing to make a deal to those who cooperate."

"What kind of deal?" he asked warily.

"I'll make no promises just yet."

"I need to talk to my men."

She leaned back in her chair. "I don't think so—not until I've questioned each of them alone. I may not have to make any concessions at all once I've spoken to them."

"We didn't harm anybody. We don't do that," he repeated.

"Is that so? Well, I consider stealing people's life savings certainly harming them."

He shrugged. "That's different."

"To you perhaps. To the people you've robbed, it's just as damaging."

"We didn't do anything to hurt anybody," he insisted stubbornly.

"I don't believe you. I don't see any other suspicious characters around this village except the five of you. I think you _are_ the guilty ones—guilty of all crimes."

"We didn't do it!" His voice rose.

"Let's just see what your confederates have to say about that. Take him back to his cell," she ordered.

As Neji and Shikamaru escorted him out, the prisoner still protested, "We didn't do it! We didn't do it!"

She sighed as she watched him go. She had a long day ahead of her, but she intended to discover the complete truth before the end of the day. That was a promise.


	29. Bank robbers or killers?

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXIX. Bank robbers or killers?

"What's goin' on?" Naruto asked the small knot of ninja he found clustered together in the front lobby of the ninja complex. He was later than usual checking in that morning. For some strange reason even though he'd gotten to bed earlier he'd slept later. He felt more tired after his longer than usual sleep than he ever had from a short night's sleep.

Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Kiba, huddled together with Konahamaru, Udon and Moegi hanging on the fringe of the group. They looked up collectively at Naruto in a furtive manner. It didn't take a genius to realize that something was up.

"Naruto! Haven't you heard?" Sakura exclaimed before anyone else could open their mouth.

He came up next to Hinata, bumped against her lightly, gave her a quick smile then scratched the back of his head, and answered Sakura. "I guess not. I came here straight from home. What'd I miss?"

"Neji's team caught some bank robbers last night," she continued in her self-appointed capacity of ninja news distributor.

"No way! What happened?" Damn! Neji's team sure was lucky. He tried to keep the disappointed scowl he wanted to express off his face. He should be happy that other teams were capable of guarding the welfare of Konoha just as well as he was. However, he hated to miss out on the cool stuff. He couldn't be everywhere, but he wanted to be everywhere the action was.

"You were there—tell him about it, Tenten." Once again Sakura took charge before anyone else could speak. Her personality was rather forceful at times. Ino ordinarily would have challenged her just because she could, however she was too busy watching Kiba. He'd been unusually quiet since he'd arrived. She knew Akamaru was doing fine so she wondered what was wrong. How she wished she were in a position to ask him. If only she could just bump up against him as easily as Naruto did Hinata, and get a sweet, sexy smile in return.

Konahamaru, Udon, and Moegi knew better than to interrupt. They were just happy to be a part of the older ninja's activities even on the fringes. Ordinarily, they'd have had no trouble approaching Naruto, Hinata, Lee or even Tenten with questions and comments, but they weren't too certain of the others. Sakura had never seemed approachable to the younger ninja. None of the three young chûnin present had ever worked with her directly in the past so they waited to be 

acknowledged before asserting themselves. Exchanging looks, they silently agreed to waylay Naruto afterwards later if they needed any further information.

Tenten took a deep breath before beginning her tale. She'd been so certain Sakura would tell it herself. She did like to be the center of attention. She'd had the story from Lee earlier, but maybe he hadn't been able to give her enough details since he was still on duty. Sakura wouldn't like to be corrected in front of everyone, she thought cynically.

It wasn't that she really disliked Sakura. She simply distrusted her motives. Since she'd become Tsunade's apprentice, she'd become even more bossy than usual. She had an awesome talent, and a good head on her shoulders, but sometimes Tenten felt a little resentful at her appropriation of Lee. She wasn't convinced that Sakura really loved Lee. She thought Lee's persistence may simple have worn down her resistance. He'd had a crush on her from the moment they'd met. Tenten had always been fond of Lee. He was such a sweetie that he deserved the best. Sakura was the best at many things, but maybe not the best girlfriend for Lee. She'd heard they'd been arguing lately so she reserved judgment on their pairing for now. She just didn't want to see him hurt.

Succinctly, she told the tale that everyone present but Naruto already knew.

When Tenten had finished her story, Naruto hit his fist into his palm. "Ah ha! Bank robbers! I knew there was something wrong about those monks!" he exclaimed in satisfaction.

"So did I—as soon as they tried to use that special whistle on Akamaru," Kiba agreed. "No way were they really animal lovers."

"I thought they put on a pretty good act. Nobody wanted to approach them for fear of a lecture on animal welfare," Ino said thoughtfully.

"Superficially maybe, but there was nothing substantial in their assertions," Tenten argued.

"But are these guys the attackers, too?" Naruto interrupted. He had trouble keeping the disappointment from his voice. He must not have been entirely successful because he felt Hinata move closer to him. She of anyone present would know the turmoil he was feeling at this news. He felt comforted by her concern. Just sensing her standing closely beside him made him feel better. He wished he could hug her, but he wasn't ready for public displays of affection in front of this group.

"We don't know yet. The Hokage's been questioning them all morning."

"Is that why you guys are all waiting here? You're waiting for a report? Who's at the front gate?"

"Shino for now. Since your team is technically responsible for gate duty today, you and Hinata will have to split the duty the rest of the day," Sakura told them authoritatively.

He waved a hand airily at her. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Do you want noon to 4 or 4 to 7, Hinata?"

"It doesn't matter to me. You may choose first, Naruto."

"Are you sure? It doesn't matter to me either."

"No, I am happy with either shift."

"Will you two knock it off, and just pick a time already?" Ino interrupted impatiently. Dating couples could be so irritating sometimes. How she wished she had that problem.

Naruto gave her the scowl he'd been storing up. "Okay, then I'll take noon to 4. You can have the shorter shift, Hinata. Okay?" With her nod of agreement, and that settled, he looked the rest of the group over. "Where's Shikamaru? Choji? Lee? Neji? Why aren't they here?"

"They are. The Hokage's got them working for her just now." Kiba hooked a thumb in the direction of the back of the building where the interrogation room was located.

"They get to question those monks? Why do they get to be the ones in on this?" Naruto asked resentfully. He'd questioned them originally. Why hadn't he been included in the interrogation? Was it just because he didn't get up early enough? Damn!

"Lee and Choji are transporting the prisoners one at a time to the interrogation room, and back to their cells," Sakura begin.

"Neji and Shikamaru are in the interrogation room with the Hokage," Tenten added. She was tired of Sakura taking complete charge of information dispersal. She knew just as much if not more than Sakura Haruno.

"Are we just supposed to just wait out here?"

"She didn't say, but you are if you want to know what's going on," Sakura told him firmly.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Okay, he was starting to sound whinny. He cleared his throat.

"Naruto! You just got here," Ino told him impatiently. "Have a little patience, will you?"

"Yeah, well, I hate waiting." He felt Hinata pat his back soothingly, but it only helped a little. He had too many disappointed thoughts running through his head for a small pat to help very much. He needed some major stroking that couldn't be achieved with all these people around gawking at them. He needed to get Hinata alone this evening after their guard duty. He needed her soothing voice on his disappointed nerves, and soft hands on his fevered brow. A nice home cooked meal wouldn't hurt either.

"So don't. By the time you eat lunch, it'll be your turn at the front gate," Kiba said reasonably.

"I just had breakfast," he argued.

"Naruto, quit acting like a big baby. We're all in the same position." Sakura allowed her own disappointment to show. She was a little put out that the Hokage hadn't asked _her_ to participate in the questioning. She was just as capable as Shikamaru or Neji. Instead, the Hokage had asked her to organize front gate duties for the day. "In fact, we've been here a lot longer than you. We have more right to complain than you do."

"I don't care. I want to know what's going on. Can't we just—"

"No! We can't do anything to disrupt the interrogation."

"Are you crazy, Naruto? Do you want the Fifth coming down on you?" Ino exclaimed. It would actually be more exciting than this waiting, but probably not a good idea.

He folded his arms over his chest. "She does all the time anyway."

"That's because you don't treat her with the respect she deserves," Sakura admonished.

"I give her plenty of respect. I don't what you're talking about."

"I don't think you know the meaning of the word, Naruto," Kiba laughed.

"Like you do, Kiba? You cut as many classes as I did."

"Ha ha. That's not quite what I meant, but those were the good old day, weren't they?"

He grinned reluctantly. "Yeah. You, me, Shikamaru, and Choji had a good old time cutting classes. Hey, maybe Choji or Lee need a break."

"What good would that do you? You'd still be waiting," Ino logically pointed out. Why hadn't she paid more attention to Kiba back in ninja school? Then she'd have fond memories to share with him, too.

"Sure, but there's waiting—and then there's waiting," he said with a sly grin.

Sakura sighed. She needed to distract him. If not he was going to do something stupid. She and Kakashi had always been the ones to keep Naruto from doing impulsive, impatient, stupid things. When was he going to grow up? Shouldn't a girlfriend have matured him a little? She gave Hinata a pointed look, but she was too busy focusing those weird silver eyes on Naruto's every move. She was obviously so gone on Naruto he could do no wrong in her eyes.

She almost sighed. As usual, she'd have to tame the wild beast. "Naruto, I need to talk to you in private. Excuse us a minute." She grabbed his arm, and pulled him out of range of the others.

He looked helplessly over his shoulder at Hinata. What was this all about? Was she going to dump another problem with Lee in his lap? He didn't need that just now—or ever. Why couldn't they handle their own problems? He and Hinata never had any problems. What was wrong with those two?

"What?" he asked bluntly when they were far enough away from the curious ears of the others. He shook her hand off his arm.

She rubbed her hands together. "Nothing major. I just wanted to ask you something. It's got nothing to do with this."

"What?" he repeated impatiently. It wasn't like Sakura to act so coy—at least not around him.

"I want us to go on a date."

He visibly recoiled. "What!? Are you crazy!? I already have a girlfriend. What about Lee?"

"You idiot!" she exploded as she reached out and punched his arm—hard. "I mean a double date! What do you think, stupid?!"

"Oww! That hurt!" He rubbed his upper arm where she'd hit him. He didn't think she'd been holding back any. His arm felt numb. Maybe it was even broken. "I think you broke my arm," he complained.

"Don't be such a wimp. I barely touched you."

"That's not what it felt like. It felt like you were trying to hurt me. Why would I want to go on a date with you and Lee anyway? I shouldn't have to pay to get abused on my own time—I get enough of that as a member of your team." He scowled at her. He'd spent half his youth, 

wishing she'd ask him that very question. Now that she finally had, he just wanted her to forget it completely, and go away.

"Look Naruto, Lee and I don't know any other dating couples our age. It would be nice to do things with another couple. Now that you're dating—you and Hinata are it. So what do you think?"

"We're—ah—pretty busy," he told her doubtfully. He didn't know if he could stand a double date with those two. If Sakura wasn't hitting him, or making all the decisions, she and Lee would probably just argue the whole time expecting him to arbitrate. That didn't sound like a fun time. He'd rather have Hinata to himself on a date then share their precious little time with those two.

Unfortunately, Sakura was already signaling Hinata to join them.

"Hinata, I just asked Naruto if the two of you would consider double dating with me and Lee? We could have a lot of fun together. What do you think?" she asked without preliminary as soon as Hinata had reached their side.

Hinata looked at Naruto before answering. She'd winced when she'd seen Sakura wallop him. She knew that he could be very trying to others and especially Sakura—athough never to her. There was nothing he could do that would truly annoy her.

She had no preference one way or the other about double dating with Lee and Sakura, but she could see that Naruto wasn't happy with the situation. On her own she would probably have agreed because that was her nature, but if Naruto didn't like it then she wouldn't like it either. She was determined to always back him up.

"It's difficult to think of such things as double dating under these trying circumstances, Sakura," she said hesitantly. "We're all so overextended, and the four of us have very little free time in common," she continued diplomatically.

"I know, I know, but when things settle down—when the other ninja return, and we aren't forced to work such long hours—what do you say?"

"Naruto and I will certainly consider it once things are back to normal," she temporized. That would give them time to think of a way out if Naruto truly wished it. "Right, Naruto?"

"Yeah, sure," he said resigned. When women ganged up against you there was nothing a guy could do.

"That's great! I can't wait to tell Lee."

"Why don't you tell him now? He'd probably be glad to know—now" Naruto suggested with a tilt, and shake of his head. He really wanted to know what was going on before he had to go on duty.

She eyed him speculatively. She was no fool. She knew she'd only distracted him momentarily, not completely thwarted his curiosity. Since he'd practically agreed to the double date, she owed him one. "Good idea. I can at least find out how far they are in the questioning. Let's go back."

They walked back towards the knot of ninja watching them curiously.

"I need to have a word with Lee. I'll be right back," Sakura told the group before she left.

"Naruto, that had to be your doing. What did you say to her? She wouldn't let any of us do anything," Kiba asked in admiration. How did Naruto always manage to get his way?

"Well, Sakura's just as curious as we are—she just hides it well," he said modestly, but grinned. If she hadn't agreed to go, he would have. Even she wouldn't have been able to stop him. He really, _really_ hated waiting for anything.

* * *

The interrogations of all five monks were finally completed before lunch.

Tsunade was disappointed with the results. She'd been hoping for a more definitive conclusion to Konoha's current troubles. It would certainly have made her life easier if the monks were conclusively attacker/killers as well as bank robbers.

She put her elbows on the table, folded her hands together, and rested her chin upon them. "Shikamaru, Neji, I allowed you to witness these interviews as outside observers for three reasons. One: To intimate the suspects. Two: It's good experience for you. Three: I trust in your analytical abilities. What do you think about what these men had to say?"

"They're weak and cowardly," Neji responded with a sneer in his voice if not on his usual expressionless countenance. "I don't think them capable of the attacks or the killing. They would have been caught long ago."

"I agree, Hokage. How smart is it to attempt the robbery of a bank in a hidden village?" Shikamaru added. He could sneer as well as Neji, and he could express it even better with his curled upper lip.

"Perhaps, but we're heavily understaffed at present. They may not have realized the type of village we are. I don't think anyone could have guessed we were a village of highly skilled ninja at this time with only a few dozen ninja—half of them children—guarding the village."

"That's no excuse. Their methods were crude, and poorly conceived. That may work on some small rural village, but our size should have been enough to deter them from this robbery." Neji had completely forgotten than if not for the fact that he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time casually using his Byakugan, they might actually have gotten away with it.

"Those attacks would have been a good distraction for their robbery, though," Shikamaru said thoughtfully.

"Good point. Do you think they had accomplices in their crime that they haven't admitted to? If Ibiki were here we'd know for sure." Ibiki was the master of interrogation. He could draw blood from a stone. She was good, but she had to admit that he was better.

Shikamaru rubbed his chin. "No. I don't. If the attacks had been a distraction then they would have staged one while they were robbing the bank. Unfortunately, I think it nothing more than a coincidence."

"Unfortunately," Tsunade agree, and sighed.

"Then we must still be on our guard for a killer or killers," Neji stated grimly.

"Unfortunately," Tsunade repeated. "Is that all the help you two can give me? Don't you have some brilliant deduction to offer that hasn't occurred to me?"

She glared at them as if willing them to know something they couldn't.

Neji shrugged. "It has to be an outsider. Have we questioned every stranger in Konoha?"

"Of course. No one has appeared in the least suspicious except for the monks, and the acting troupe."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have allowed that acting troupe to leave if you were suspicious of them," Neji stated the obvious.

She shrugged this time. "Perhaps not, but I wasn't necessarily suspicious of them for this crime. Their behavior, their dress, their way of life are all suspicious only because it's not our way. I can't hold people here simply because I think they lead an odd, bohemian lifestyle. I had no concrete reason to forbid their withdrawal."

While Tsunade and Neji had been discussing the merits of the case, Shikamaru had placed himself in thinking mode, crouched on the ground balanced on his heels, and back against the wall, his finger tips meeting to form a pyramid with his hands. When Tsunade finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, and said, "Suppose we're dealing with a ninja with special abilities?"

"Go on."

"Perhaps he or she has a kekkai genkai that allows him the ability to attack without detection. Perhaps human blood is a necessary component."

"That's an interesting theory, Shikamaru. I've never heard of a kekkai genkai of that nature, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Kekkai genkai can occur spontaneously without previous genetic evidence. That's one of the mysteries of DNA combination. It could be an anomaly or the beginning of a blood line. You know what that means?"

Shikamaru thought for a moment, but it was Neji who answered, "It could be someone from Konoha after all if the ability has been hidden or has only now matured to this form."

"It's unlikely that such an ability could remain hidden so successfully. It's more likely to still be that acting troupe," Shikamaru retorted angry that Neji jumped in with a conclusion to his theory.

Tsunade frowned. "That's still a definite possibility. Frankly, I'd prefer it to be the acting troupe. I'd rather it was the work of an outsider. We'll know for certain if there are no more attacks now they're gone. At least, Konoha would be safe if that's the case. That's my primary concern."

"We won't allow them to get away with it, will we?"

"No. Someone will have to go after them if we decide they harbor the culprit."

"It may be difficult to find them."

"We'll find them again if only in the wake of their future attacks."

"Shouldn't you shut down the gate, and not allow anyone else to come or go until we're sure?"

"Most likely that's what I should do, but for how long? I could have done so after the killing, but there was still nothing to investigate. I need some evidence. Something concrete. Shutting down the village is a last resort method." If only she could completely trust her allies then she could ask for help in this situation. But her best source for help was too new an ally for 

her to be comfortable revealing their weakness. She wanted at least ten years of peace and alliance before she would trust another hidden village for protection. Even then when administrations change alliances change. No, they would simply have to make this work with the resources they had.

"What should we do now?" Shikamaru asked as if he could read her mind.

"We'll bring in the others, explain the situation, and carry on as we have been until further notice."

"What will we do with the pseudo-monks?"

"Send them to the prison. They were caught in the act. Their sentence is clear cut. We'll send around information on their capture. If we're lucky there will be a bounty on their head somewhere. We could use the funds if they're wanted."

"What if there's another death?"

She rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I don't know. I really don't know. I just don't want it to be one of us."

Neji and Shikamaru exchanged a grim look. That was not a promising answer to the situation. Neither one of them would want to be in her shoes right now.


	30. After the meeting

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXX. After the meeting

Tsunade gave her young ninja a brief summary of what she'd learned from the monk bank robbers. She explained that unfortunately the attempted bank robbery had nothing to do with the attacks and killing. She told them of the theories she, Shikamaru and Neji had developed after the interrogations. She held up her hand, and shook her head to forestall questions until she was finished speaking. She did this most often to stop Naruto from interrupting.

"All of you with genin partners, I want you to update them on these current events. I don't want anyone taken by surprise. I want everyone to anticipate the unexpected."

"If it's unexpected how can we anticipate it?" Naruto asked flippantly. He felt giddy with relief that there was still something for him to do in solving Konoha's troubles. He still had the chance to catch a killer.

She frowned darkly at him. "That's merely an expression, and a caveat, Naruto. I don't want any of you to take anything for granted until we discover the perpetrator of these crimes. You must be alert, and prepared for any contingency."

"Why didn't you just _say_ that? That makes more sense."

"I just did!" she snarled. "Tell it to your genin any way you want to, Naruto, but make sure they understand." He was the most frustrating child—always challenging her in one way or another. If she didn't like him so much she'd brain him.

"We're already alert and prepared. How can we be more alert and prepared?"

"Naruto! Just shut up, and follow orders."

"I'm just saying—"

"Well, stop saying anything, and listen." She took a deep breath to calm herself before kicking that boy right out the door. "I'm not making any changes in our guard duty method or rotation. We don't have the manpower to do more. However, I am calling for a village curfew of 8:00 p.m. That should limit the number of people legitimately out on the streets offering to be victims."

"No more escort duty?"

"That's right."

"Yahoo! Escort duty sucked."

"However, anyone not on duty must obey the curfew as well," Tsunade continued once Naruto, and those in agreement had quieted down.

"Why? We can take care of ourselves."

"Because I'm issuing orders that anyone outside of their home after 8:00 p.m. will be taken into custody as a suspect. That means you, too."

"That's not fair!"

"Too bad, Naruto. If you want to spend the night in a cell—be my guest. We've got nice, comfortable cots in each cell. You should have a good night's sleep. Now no more questions for you, Naruto. If anyone has any legitimate questions see me in private. Everyone dismissed!"

Naruto grumbled all the way back to the lobby from the hall where the Fifth usually met with her entire contingent of ninja. _8:00 p.m.!_ That would give him very little time to be with Hinata in the evening or at all with Naomi under his wing during his daytime off hours. How was he supposed to conduct a romance under those circumstances?

"Naruto?"

The object of his affection had managed to keep up with his longer, angrier stride. In all his grumblings against the Hokage, he'd almost forgotten she'd been present. So he'd been effectively taking his anger out on her, too. What an idiot he was!

"Hinata!" He stopped, and looked around. He must have taken the lead outside the hall because no one else was close to them. He took Hinata's arm in a gentle grip. "C'mere," he said pulling her into an alcove hopefully away from any prying eyes.

She looked up at him with love glowing in her eyes. She couldn't seem to hide her feelings anymore. It was there in her eyes, softened expression, and goofy smile. She loved him more and more every day.

He had yet to learn to read the expressions in her big, beautiful, silver eyes, but something about this one made him feel warm and happy. He reached out, and tucked her hair behind her ears. She had such small ears—like delicate shells. He traced the outline of her ear with his finger making her shiver.

"You look very pretty today," he said. Why had he never noticed in the past how clear, pure, and white her skin looked? Or how fine and delicate her face was except for her big, beautiful eyes, and generous, kissable mouth? Or how black, glossy, and silky her hair was? 

Why had he never noticed that she was actually quite beautiful in her quiet way? His hands went to her shoulders as he drew her closer.

"This is how I always look," she told him with a blush. Naruto was the sun, and she was a flower drinking in his warmth.

"Then you must always look pretty. I probably just don't tell you that often enough. I'm sorry. I'm not very good with compliments."

"That's why I cherish every one you give me."

"Really?" He stared down into her eyes. He wished he understood better how relationships worked. He was such a screwup, but he didn't want to screw this up. He didn't want her unhappy or disappointed in him.

"I wouldn't change a thing about you, Naruto." She put her hands up on his chest not to hold him off, but just to touch him. She found that even in her shyness she couldn't be completely passive with Naruto. She wanted to encourage his affection in her own shy way.

He grinned. "That's good 'cause I'm not sure I could change—much."

"Please don't. I like you just the way you are."

"Do you, Hinata?" he whispered, and stared intently into her eyes a moment before he bent his head to kiss her.

It felt like forever since he'd last kissed her. They were always so busy with their jobs or Naomi. He knew this wasn't the time or place, but he just had to taste her. She was becoming an addiction to him. He savored the sweet feel and taste of her lips as well as her flowery scent. He was taking his courtship seriously and slow, but sometimes he just wanted to get as close to her as humanly possible. He'd never appreciated how alone he'd been until he had a girlfriend. Now he wanted to be with her all the time. He felt lonelier when he wasn't with her. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, or just sit and look at her. Why couldn't they have more time together?

When he finally drew away, he took a deep breath that sounded more like a sigh.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

"Nothing really." He lightly stroked her cheek. I guess I better get to the front gate before Shino has a cow—or in his case a dung beetle or something. Walk with me?"

"Of course."

He took her hand in his. She looked around furtively. "Should we? What if someone sees us?"

"Everyone already knows you're my girlfriend. It's time they learned the facts of life."

She giggled happily.

Pleased he squeezed her hand, and led her to the front gate.

* * *

Kiba watched Naruto and Hinata from a distance while Ino watched him closer at hand.

He'd never seen Hinata so happy. He'd never seen her look so attractive. He'd never seen her so confident. Naruto was really good for her—_damn him!_

He felt sad, glad, and relieved. Sad that Hinata was finding a life without him in it. Glad because she deserved to be happy. Relieved that Naruto seemed to care for her maybe even as much as she cared for him.

His own feelings for her had always been mixed. They were longtime team mates and friends. So he felt a relaxed camaraderie with her. Then he began to feel little sister protective of her. From that he'd thought maybe he felt something more. Was it real or did he just feel that way because he already liked her, felt comfortable with her, and thought her receptive? Or did his feelings only develop when Naruto came willingly into the picture?

Who knows? He'd never really taken the chance to find out. He knew Hinata's attraction, affection, and sympathy had always been for Naruto, but he'd thought it would always be unrequited. He thought he could simply step in at anytime, and lure her away with the promise of a real relationship. That had been his delusion. Now he felt like the odd man out, and he didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do to change things. Not while Naruto so obviously courted Hinata. She'd never leave him now.

He watched as Hinata and Naruto left the building laughing, and holding hands. They actually looked good together. Surprisingly, his disappointment was already lessening. He let out a long, deep breath, and actually felt better afterwards as if something unpleasant had been released or had released him.

"Kiba?"

He turned to see Ino at his side looking up at him with concern in her attractive, blue eyes.

Ino Yamanaka.

She was the antitheses of Hinata. Blonde, blue-eyed, confident, sexy—maybe too much of all those things. There was nothing quiet, shy, subdued, or wallflower about Ino. He thought she must have a dozen guys after her. She wasn't the type of girl to be alone. So why was she seemingly so intent on him?

He thought of himself as an average guy in most ways. He didn't stand out like Naruto or Choji. He wasn't good-looking like Lee or Neji. He wasn't smart like Shikamaru or Shino. His coloring of black eyes and hair weren't very unusual. His features were so-so. He was strong, but built like most ninjas. His intellect was average. His rapport with dogs, his mimicry of canine abilities, and his partner Akumaru were the only things that set him apart from the average. He was proud of his Inuzuka heritage. Love me, love my dogs was definitely his family way. So what was Ino up to?

"Yeah?" He gave her a quizzical look, and not much encouragement.

"You look sad." _And so cute_, she thought. Sad, angry, happy, it didn't matter. She liked watching the various expressions cross his cute face. She hadn't always thought him good-looking, but now she couldn't imagine why that had been. He definitely struck her as handsome now.

"Do I?"

Ino looked out at the street, and the receding figures of Naruto and Hinata, and gestured towards them.

"What's up with the three of you?" She could guess, but she wanted him to tell her.

He looked out at them himself, and shrugged. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." There was no _three of them_—only two of them and one of him.

"Look Kiba. I'm not trying to be nosy or anything—"

"Aren't you?" He looked back at her. She was tall, taller than Hinata. He didn't have far to look to meet her eyes.

She pouted. "_No_, I'm _not_. I'm being _concerned_."

"Why? Did you have your eye on Naruto?" He gave a bitter laugh. Nothing would surprise him about Naruto. The guy seemed to lead a charmed life these days. The Hokage seemed to favor him. She allowed him to get away with stuff no one else could. If he talked back the way Naruto did, he wouldn't still be standing.

He'd had the advantage of being trained by another of the legendary sanin. Sakura was the only other person from their class to be able to make that claim. That entire original team had had more sanin advantages than any other ninja of their age.

Everyone seemed to know Naruto. He drew everyone's attention as if he were honey, and they were flies. Now he, a virtual nobody, was dating the eldest daughter of one of the oldest, and finest ninja families in Konoha. Why shouldn't he attract other women as well?

"Naruto Uzumaki! Certainly not!" she huffed. How could he possibly think that? When had she ever given Naruto more than polite interest?

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with Naruto. Are you a snob?" He couldn't help defending the guy. Despite everything, he liked Naruto just as much as everyone else did. He'd had fewer advantages than anyone else. Maybe he actually deserved all the luck he was experiencing just now.

"Of course not! Why are we talking about Naruto? I'm not interested in Naruto. I was asking about _you!_"

"Maybe you're jealous of Hinata then?" he asked thoughtfully.

She glared at him. He was making her angry, but not enough to stop. "Maybe I am," she said truthfully anyway.

"How come if you're not interested in Naruto? Or is it her position you envy as a Huyga? Or maybe it's her kekkai genkai?" he taunted her.

She stamped her foot. "Don't be an idiot, Kiba Inuzuka! I'm jealous because of _you_," she confessed in exasperation.

"Unh?" He blinked his eyes, and stared down at her as if seeing her for the first time. He'd never noticed how attractive and animated her face was. He'd always thought of her as one of those shallow, pretty girls who knew exactly how attractive she was, and only pursued guys equally attractive or desirable in other ways. He'd always lumped her and Sakura together. They were conceited, irritating and obvious. They were jealous, petty, and catty. Not his type at all—_usually_.

She threw up her hands. "This is so embarrassing."

"What is?" He watched as her face reddened. He'd never seen Ino blush before. He didn't know she could. Maybe there were more dimensions to her than he'd previously thought.

"You don't even know I exist, do you?"

He gave her his unconsciously sexy lopsided grin. He was suddenly enjoying this exchange. "I may suspect it _now_."

"_You obnoxious oaf_. I don't know why I'm talking to you." She started to walk off in a huff when he reached out to grab her arm.

She allowed herself to be held still. She liked the feel of his bare hand on her bare arm. It really was more exciting to be chased than to chase.

"Don't go away mad. I'd like to hear more."

She looked away from him so he wouldn't see the longing in her eyes. She'd never meant to practically throw herself at him. She'd wanted him to notice her on his own. She shouldn't have to go after him like this. Why couldn't she like the guys that went after her instead of the indifferent ones? It would be awful if he completely rejected her after revealing herself so foolishly. "I bet you would! I'm not mad—I'm crazy. I'll never live this down," she said crossly.

"We're the only ones who have to know, Ino—and you've peaked my interest."

"Have I?" She still wouldn't meet his eyes. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Yeah, you have, Ino Yamanaka." He found he liked saying her name. "You want to get some lunch with me? You can tell me all about it."

Her heart beat faster at his suggestion, but her pride had been pricked. She wasn't going to make this easy for him from here on out.

"I don't know if I should tell you anything since you're so obtuse."

"Take pity on me, Ino. I'm just a guy. We're not known for our sensitivity." Now that she was backing off, and allowing him to be the pursuer, he was finding this even more intriguing. Of course, he understood that in his present position she had to all but hit him over the head for him to notice her. On his own, he probably wouldn't have been looking at other women for a while. He was still nursing if not a broken heart than a bruised ego.

"Okay, I'll have lunch with you, Kiba. You can tell me your troubles or not. I'm sure I don't care anymore," she said putting her nose in the air. Of course, secretly she was thrilled at this turn of events.

He gave a little tweak to her ponytail. "It's a date, Ino."

"We will _not_ call this a date," she argued.

"Why not? I asked you to lunch. That sounds like a date to me."

"I expect more notice for an actual date. I'm only lunching with you as a concerned temporary team mate. Any other interest I might have had in you is no longer on the table."

He grinned. He did love a challenge. "This is getting interesting. Let's go—team mate."

They left the building, walking slowly together towards a restaurant. Concentrating on their combination argument/flirtation, they paid no attention to anyone or anything else. Good thing the attacks seemed to occur at night. The Hokage's warning of expecting the unexpected was lost to them just now.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

Sakura waited in a dark corner for Lee, and watched two sets of couples talk then finally leave the ninja complex.

Both completely incompatible couples left her shaking her head with ominous foreboding.

The first couple she'd observed, Naruto and Hinata, were such an unlikely pair. They were absolute opposites in temperament and appearance. How could Hinata stand being around that hyper, knuckleheaded, screwup all the time? She wanted to hit him a lot more often than she actually did. Hinata was bound to start feeling the same way after too much longer in his company.

But more than that, Hinata was the eldest daughter of an old, distinguished family. Naruto's antecedents may have been important, but he was familyless as far as anyone in Konoha was concerned. Hinata came from a privileged background. Naruto came from a charity background. Hinata was dignified and reserved. Naruto was obnoxious and loud. Hinata had a valuable blood line. Naruto was possessed by a demon. Both things gave them highly desirable skills, but one was admired while the other was considered shameful.

How could these two possibly find a common ground? As far as she could see there was no reason for this couple to stay together let alone be attracted to one another in the first place. The relationship was doomed. Absolutely doomed. Nothing good could ever come from it. It was a disaster waiting to happen. It was just a question of when.

Then to see Ino and Kiba together in a very nonfriend, nonteam mate way! What a shock, and how absolutely impossible could that relationship be? Kiba was so—. Ino was so—.

She violently shook her head. It just wouldn't work. Ino must be desperate to go after Kiba. Kiba must be bored to even consider Ino. What were they thinking?

Someone had to put them straight. Ino would be impossible to reason with, but Kiba might listen to her. She was his temporary team leader. She might be able to offer him a word of caution in the guise of leadership advice. She would have to give it some thought.

Before she could completely break up both couples in her mind, Lee showed up.

"Sakara! Sweetheart! You waited," he exclaimed with pleasure. He would have hugged her, but she frowned on public displays of affection during duty hours. She wanted to impress the Hokage with her professionalism.

"Of course, I waited. I told you I would." Besides which, she hadn't wanted to interrupt the two couples she'd been quietly observing. "Shall we go to lunch?"

He looked crestfallen. "I'd love to, but I'm exhausted. I've been up all night, you know."

"Yes, of course. I forgot."

"Can we meet for dinner?"

"If it's before 7. I'm on duty tonight, remember?"

"Certainly, I remember. I'll cook for you tonight. Come over at 6."

"That will be wonderful, dear Lee."

She looked her fiancé over with great appreciation, but still a nagging incomplete feeling clouded her happiness.

He was handsome. He was strong. He was sweet. He was caring. He could cook. And he was all hers. She was the envy of many women. What more could she want?

She wasn't certain, but it felt like there should be something more. But who's fault was it that she still wasn't completely satisfied?

* * *

Tenten and Neji followed at a distance behind Sakura and Lee. Neji had stayed behind to ask the Hokage a question, and Tenten had waited for him.

She'd watched Sakura and Lee together with some disquiet.

They certainly didn't seem like an engaged couple. They seemed more like a long married couple. They didn't touch. Sakura seemed to hold herself away from Lee. She didn't like it. Lee was a very sensitive, affectionate guy. What was wrong with Sakura?

When Neji joined her, her thoughts were still on Sakura and Lee. He had to ask her twice if she were waiting for him.

"Oh, yes, I was. Are you going straight home? Would you like to get some lunch?"

"You should go home, and get some sleep, Tenten. You should be exhausted by now."

"I think I've got my second wind. I don't feel tired at all."

He frowned. "If you don't get proper rest you won't be as alert as you should be."

"I will. I promise, but I'm hungry, too."

"Very well, I'll have lunch with you, but you will go home afterwards and sleep."

"Yes, team leader. Whatever you say, team leader," she lightly teased him. Of course, the only response she received was a frown.

They walked along quietly for a few minutes before Tenten voiced her concerns to Neji. She knew it was probably useless. Neji had never taken an interest in their personal lives before, but he might have a useful opinion. She wanted some support or dissuasion for her disturbing thoughts.

"Neji? What do you think of Lee's engagement?"

"What do I think? It's no business of mine," he told her brusquely.

"You must have some thoughts about it?" she persisted.

"No. I don't."

She sighed in exasperation. "What do you think of Sakura?"

"I don't think of her."

"You know what I mean! Do you think she's good enough for Lee?"

"She's a talented kunoichi. With the Fifth as her mentor how could she be less?"

"I'm not asking about her jutsu abilities. I'm asking about her relationship abilities."

"I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Don't you have an opinion? Haven't you observed anything about her? About them?"

"Not really. If Lee believes he wishes to marry Sakura, why should I care?"

He was so oblivious. Was he really so uncaring, too? Didn't he give any of them a thought outside their ninja duties? That thought momentarily depressed her, but she pushed it aside.

"Well, I don't think she's good enough for Lee," she announced defiantly.

He frowned. "Why is that?"

"I don't think she loves him enough. Lee is sweet, and sensitive. He can be easily hurt. I think Sakura has the potential to hurt him deeply."

He continued to frown. "You think Lee is sweet and sensitive?"

"Of course. You must see it, too. You've been his team mate as long as I have. I know he and Gai sensei can be a crazy, intense combination, but they care deeply for others, too. They're very much alike, but Lee has a much sweeter disposition."

"You seem unduly concerned about Lee's relationship?" he questioned carefully. What was this sudden concern with Lee? He was almost afraid to know, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"I like Lee. He's a good friend. He deserves a woman who can love as deeply as he does. You must see that," she protested.

"I've never really given it much thought." He certainly didn't understand her vehemence. Was he missing something? "I've always thought of you as the caring member of our team, Tenten."

She suddenly blushed. That was the first compliment she could ever remember Neji giving her that wasn't ninja related, but she wouldn't allow it to distract her. "You only think that because I'm female. Females are supposed to be the caring ones, but I think Lee is just as if not more caring that I am."

He shrugged. "If you say so. I've never given Lee's emotions much thought." Except for sometimes annoyance.

She studied him out of the corner of her eye. "Do you think about us—your team mates—at all, Neji?"

"What do you mean? You're my team mates. Of course, I think about you. I can't allow my team mates to be harmed," he said impatiently.

She sighed. "That's not exactly what I mean. I wasn't talking about the ninja stuff. I don't suppose it would matter to you who your team mates were, would it?"

He felt uneasy. This was getting a little more personal than he liked. He'd spent most of his life keeping everyone at a distance. He'd felt completely abandoned, alone and betrayed when his father had died. He'd very carefully protected himself ever since. Yet somehow certain people were getting beneath his guard, and he wasn't certain he liked it.

"Don't worry about Lee, Tenten," he told her reluctantly. "I think he knows what he wants, and what he's getting into."

He'd avoided responding to her implication. He was good at evading personal questions. She should know that by now.

"If you say so," she told him half-heartedly. She couldn't stop feeling concerned. She'd just have to find someone else to share her worry with. Neji obviously didn't care. Maybe he didn't care about anyone.

Now thoroughly depressed, she walked silently at his side to lunch. Neji wouldn't ask her why. He'd be afraid to ask. He'd just mark it down to tiredness which was just as well. If he did pursue her mood, she just might tell him, and then where would she be? She wasn't ready to give up completely on Neji, but sometimes she came close—very, very close.

* * *

Shikamaru and Choji escorted the prisoners to the prison. The five were chained together by wrist and ankle so the trip took awhile. The two of them walked in the back, and called directions to their charges as necessary. The complaints, grumblings, and curses were less audible from the back than they would have been from the front or side.

"Let's go for barbeque when we get back," Choji said after they were out of the village, and headed towards the prison three miles away.

"Sounds good to me, but we won't get back to the village for about an hour—well past lunch time. Can you handle that?"

Choji reached into his pack, and pulled out a snack bag. "Yeah, sure, that's why I always come prepared."

Shikamaru smiled fondly at his friend. "You know, most ninja carry weapons in their pack?"

"I'm not most ninja," he announced with a mouth full of chips. He held the bag out to Shikamaru who shook his head. He wouldn't want to deprive Choji of one bite. He could wait until their barbeque later.

"I know. That's what I like about you, Choji."

"You're not most ninja either, Shikamaru. That's what I like about you, too."

Already having a beautiful friendship, the two grinned at each other, and continued on their way behind their shuffling, whinny prisoners.


	31. Konohamaru & friends?

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXXI. Konohamaru & friends?

Now that he had the perfect opportunity, Konohamaru brought his old friends to meet his new one.

He knew it had to be done sometime. He couldn't keep her to himself forever. Plus his old friends had been asking pointed questions—so pointed they were beginning to draw blood. Moegi in particular had been needling him about his new friend.

He knew she sensed a rival, but he didn't care. She'd become more and more annoying even before he'd met Naomi. She'd been acting extremely possessive and bossy. She thought she could make him jealous by lavishing Udon with all her attention, but it hadn't worked. He didn't feel in the least jealous of his best friend, and he wouldn't be manipulated by her tricks.

Why were girls so intense about staking out a boyfriend? He certainly didn't feel any particular need in attaching himself to one particular girl. He didn't want to get involved in all that boyfriend/girlfriend stuff. Geez, they were only fourteen. They had plenty of time for all that. Why couldn't she just relax, and be friends? He was more interested in honing his ninja skills in preparation for one day becoming hokage to getting a girlfriend.

He'd tried to tell her that, but she didn't or wouldn't get it. Instead, she had to get all huffy and mad and mean about it. She had to show him. Only he still didn't see it. So basically, the only one who'd probably be getting hurt by this whole thing was Udon. He liked Moegi. He always had, but he'd kept it to himself until Moegi decided to use him against Konohamaru. She'd never shown him any particular interest until Konohamaru had started being difficult. Now they were practically a couple—as long as Moegi wanted them to be. Udon was wet clay in her hands.

Konohamaru couldn't care less about their pairing off, but he did find them annoying as a couple. Not only was Udon's fawning over Moegi nauseating, the whole thing was affecting their team. Udon had stopped looking on Konohamaru as the natural leader of their group, and was looking to Moegi for all his instructions. She seemed to be running things, and he didn't like it—not one bit. That fact made him glad that they were temporarily assigned to Neji's team. He didn't have to make an issue of the situation with Neji calling the shots. But when their team leader returned, he would definitely have it out with the two of them. He wouldn't have Moegi 

ordering him around for no good reason, or pitting Udon against him. Her spiteful behavior wasn't good for the team.

He was glad Naomi had shown up when she did. It gave him more leverage against Moegi. It was her turn to be jealous if she wanted to be. He didn't care what she thought. He could have any friend he wanted, and he wanted Naomi as a friend. Moegi could just lump it.

No one had ever come between the three of them before, but he'd never met anyone like Naomi before. Of course, he might be influenced by her relationship to Naruto. He'd always liked, and admired Naruto, but Naomi did have interesting qualities of her own. She was pretty without being always conscious of it. She wasn't always staring at her reflection, and fluffing her hair. She was enthusiastic about being a ninja, and admiring of ninja skills. She was flattering without be obsequious. She was sweet without being cloying. Plus she was nice. He just liked her.

He wasn't sure if he wanted Moegi and Udon to dislike or like Naomi. Either way would probably be uncomfortable for him in some way. If they liked her then she and Moegi might become best friends which would be horrible. If they disliked her, he could easily keep her to himself, and not be involved in uncomfortable group stuff. He did _not_ want to double date with Moegi and Udon—that's for sure. He didn't even want to think about dating yet—not with anyone. However, Naomi probably wouldn't want to be disliked, so he wouldn't be selfish. He'd hope Naomi was accepted. That would make her happy, and he wanted her to be happy. Girls were more fun when they were happy.

He led the way down to the records room. Moegi and Udon had never been in the far back of the building before. He felt a tinge of superiority that he was an insider to many more aspects of the ninja business than they were. It had helped greatly that he'd had the run of the place when his grandfather was alive. The honorable grandson had been allowed many liberties for which ordinary ninja children weren't given the opportunity. He'd never appreciated his special place in ninja society until it had been taken away. He was still the grandson of a hokage, just not _the_ Hokage.

When he opened the door, he immediately observed Naomi with her head resting on her arm stretched across the only table in the room. At first she seemed asleep, but he knew she wasn't because of the slight swing of her crossed leg. She slowly turned her head when she heard the door open and close.

"_Konohamaru!_" she shrieked jumping up from her chair. "Thank you. Thank you. _Please rescue me._"

He gave Moegi and Udon a smirk. He was gratified by the reception he was receiving.

He held up his hands. "Hold on, Naomi, slow down. What's wrong?"

"I'm _sooo_ bored! Please take me away from here!" she pleaded. With the appearance of Konohamaru, she knew that the big meeting was over, and Naruto was probably on guard duty so she couldn't sneak out to find him. If Konohamaru would take care of her for the afternoon, she'd be free of this tedious, boring, room for the rest of the day.

Why couldn't she run around free in the village? It wasn't like she could get lost. Why was Lady Tsunade holding her prisoner in this awful room? What was she protecting her from? All the attacks seemed to have occurred at night. Who would hurt her during the day?

He smiled in sympathy. He'd sure hate to be stuck in this room all day. Why was the Hokage being so mean about Naomi? "Of course, I will. I'll make it right with the Fifth. Come and meet my friends first."

Naomi suddenly noticed the two people lagging behind Konohamaru. They hadn't even penetrated her consciousness when he'd walked into the room. Her eyes had been fixed solely on her savior from boredom. Now she watched as a confident, attractive girl with bushy, auburn hair sauntered towards her. She was followed by a thin, wiry guy with puppy-like brown eyes, and a shy smile.

"Naomi, this is Moegi and Udon. They're my team mates—and friends," Konohamaru introduced proudly. He had a good team. They'd been friends since ninja school. He and Udon had been best friends even before that. Moegi's addition to their twosome had only strengthened their bonds in the beginning. It was only recently that she'd gotten this boyfriend bug stuck in her craw. He wanted everything back the way it was. He didn't like this division in their team.

"Hi. I'm so happy to meet Konohamaru's friends," she told them happily. She barely noticed Moegi's quickly seen then hidden frown or Udon's hesitant look in her direction. She wanted Konohamaru's friends to like her. Her life had been so lonely until she'd come to Konoha. Now she had a cousin, and she wanted to add as many friends as possible to that positive beginning.

Moegi said, "Ummm," while Udon said, "Ahhh." Neither response was very positive.

It was Konohamaru's turn to frown, but at his friends for their lack of welcome. He stared pointedly at them for a moment. Getting no reaction except a shrug from Moegi, and a blush from Udon, he gave his head a shake, and turned away from them. He was greatly disappointed in them.

"I think Moegi and Udon may have someplace else to be, but you and I can hang out together, Naomi," he said dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

Moegi wasn't about to leave the field to her rival. She knew she was being a bitch, but all Konohamaru ever talked about these days was Naomi. Just because she was Naruto's cousin, didn't impress Moegi. And she couldn't see any other attraction. She was short, skinny, and dressed like a boy. All she had going for her were bright, blue eyes, and sunny, blonde hair. Big deal! She looked just like Naruto. How was that attractive?

She recovered quickly, and pasted a big, fake smile on her face. "Of course, we don't have to be any place. We'll be happy to hang out with the two of you. Won't we Udon?"

Udon was fooled by Moegi's smile, so he gave Naomi a genuine one. "That's right. I'm not even tired yet."

"Oh I forgot. You had guard duty last night. You haven't had any sleep yet. Are you tired, Konohamaru?" she asked in disappointment.

"Not really," he lied stifling a yawn. Once they were out of this dark, stuffy room, he'd wake up again. "We can keep you company until Naruto gets off duty. Want to go to lunch with us?"

"Oh yes, I'll go anywhere as long as it's out of this room," she said fervently.

He laughed. "That's not very flattering. You should have said 'I'll go anywhere with you.' Your way sounds really desperate," he teased.

"I am desperate. I'll go anywhere with anyone if they'll just get me out of here. You don't know how awful it is." She didn't take him up on his little bit of flirtation. She was too interested in escaping to think about flirting. Besides she was suddenly feeling self-conscious. She wasn't getting that welcoming feeling meeting new people usually gave her. Everyone was smiling, but Konohamaru's friends didn't seem as warm as most of the people she'd met in Konoha. Naruto's friends were a lot more genuine than Konohamaru's.

The three ninja looked around the room. It was crowded with bookshelves stuffed with binders, boxes of files, one table, and one chair. Closed in. No windows. Dim light. Airless 

and cramped. It wasn't a room designed for anyone active. It definitely wasn't a room suited to a ninja. They all wondered who usually was forced to work in this dungeon-like room. What had Naomi done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment?

"C'mon. Let's get out of here," Konohamaru said quickly, and waved everyone towards the door, where they were able to escape into the narrow hallway which led them to the lobby of the ninja complex.

"What about Lady Tsunade?" Naomi asked anxiously. She wasn't worried for herself. She was used to being scolded by Lady Tsunade, but she didn't want to get anyone else in trouble—especially not her new friend.

"She probably already knows we've got you with us. Nothing gets past the Hokage," he told her airily. As one of the insiders, he knew that the Hokage had her way of knowing everything that went on in the ninja complex. If she wanted to stop them, she'd already be at the door. "If you're worried, I'll go tell her now that we're taking care of you."

"Maybe you should," she said gnawing her finger in worry. "I don't want her to get mad at you."

"She won't, but okay. Wait here."

He started for the stairs when she stopped him. "Maybe I should go with you," she said looking doubtfully at Moegi and Udon. She really didn't want to wait alone with them. She already felt uncomfortable just standing beside them.

"No, wait here. It'll be quicker if I go alone. I won't be long."

He gave her no chance to argue, before hurrying off.

Naomi felt her shyness return as she waited with the others. She put her hands behind her back so they wouldn't see her nervously toying with them. She pursed her mouth, and looked down at the floor rather than at their dark, intense eyes.

After a few long minutes, Moegi finally spoke.

"_Soooo_ Naomi—how long do you plan to stay in Konoha?" she asked not subtly at all.

* * *

She looked up into critical brown eyes. "I don't know," she said hesitantly. She wanted to stay forever, but she didn't know what the Hokage had planned for her or if Naruto wanted her to stay. She didn't have any place else to go, so she could only hope they wanted her to stay.

"Is that so? Then—_why don't you go just back where you came from?"_

Konohamaru returned from his errand to a very tense group. Maybe he should have taken Naomi with him. He'd been too trusting that Moegi would say nothing unpleasant while he was gone. He thought she'd at least be polite. But he'd forgotten that she was a very competitive girl. That made her a good kunoichi, but not always a good friend. She'd obviously decided to dislike Naomi on sight without getting to know her first. He was very disappointed that his trust in her had been misplaced.

"What's going on?" he confronted his old friends standing between them and Naomi. "Moegi?"

"Nothing," Moegi said quickly trying to look innocent with a careless shrug. "We've just been waiting for you."

He didn't buy that for a moment. "Naomi?"

"Nothing," she echoed softly with Moegi's _'Why don't you just go back where you came from?'_ still ringing in her ears. Why didn't Moegi like her? She'd love to have a girl friend her own age. What had she done wrong?

He stared at her unhappy, downcast face then turned swiftly to his other friend. "Do you agree with that, Udon? Nothing happened while I was gone?"

His was another unhappy face. "I—ah—I—don't—ah—"

Moegi put her hands on her hips, and stood up to Konohamaru. She stared him in the face not even looking at Udon. "Udon, you don't have to answer him! Konohamaru has no authority over you," Moegi ordered.

Konohamaru crossed his arms over his chest, and stared her down. "And I suppose you do? Fine. I guess I made a mistake introducing Naomi to the two of you. You've certainly given her a great impression of Konoha hospitality. I hope you're happy with yourselves. I don't know if I want to stay on the same team with either of you after this."

"What?" Moegi stared at him in shock. "You'd break up our team over _her_?" She gestured disparagingly at Naomi.

"No, I'm not breaking it up over Naomi. I'm breaking it up because of _you_. What happened to you Moegi? You used to be a much nicer person. I used to like you. I don't even recognize you anymore," his voice dripped with his disapproval.

"You—you—you—_stupid, idiotic oaf!_" she yelled turning around to stalk off. "Udon! Are you coming with me or not?" she threw over her shoulder.

"Konohamaru—" Udon gestured helplessly. He hated this. Why couldn't they be friends anymore?

"You'd better go after her," he said dismissively.

Udon couldn't just leave without saying something. He might like Moegi more than any girl he'd ever know, but Konohamaru was still his best friend. Besides, he wasn't proud of his passive role in this thing. He should have said something when Moegi had behaved so rudely. He just didn't know how to stand up to her. "I'm sorry, Naomi. She isn't usually like this. She's just—I don't know—she's been moody lately. Let me talk to her. Please give her another chance. She's really a very nice girl," Udon told her earnestly.

"Udon! If you don't come this instant, I'll never speak to you again!" Moegi yelled from a distance.

"If you don't talk some sense into her, I won't forgive her," Konohamaru told him adamantly. "I _will_ quit our team if I have to."

"I'll try. I'm really sorry, Konohamaru, Naomi." He looked really unhappy.

She felt sorry for him. "It's okay. I'll try not to hold today against her," she told him with a weak smile. It would be difficult, but she'd try for Konohamaru's and Udon's sake.

He smiled with relief. "Great. I'd better go. It was nice meeting you, Naomi. I'll talk to you later, Konohamaru."

"Yeah, right." He waved Udon on his way. He didn't turn to look after them until he was certain they were gone. What a disappointment! What was wrong with that girl? There had to be more to it than just his refusal to date her. Maybe Moegi was mad because she' been stuck on the front gate last night with him instead of being a part of the action. He'd been a little put out himself until he'd heard that Udon hadn't been included either, but Moegi hadn't been satisfied with that. She was such an ambitious girl. She didn't like being left out of anything. Like most of the kunoichi, she'd taken the Fifth seriously as her role model. She was even determined to follow Sakura's lead in developing medical skills.

"Did you really mean that?" Naomi asked worriedly as they slowly left the ninja complex.

"What?"

"That you'd quit your team?"

He stared off in the distance where his team mates had disappeared. "I don't know. Maybe. Moegi's just been so hard to deal with lately. I don't know what's gotten into her. She hasn't been acting like herself."

"Hormones."

"What?!" He looked at her startled by her response.

She slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Aunt Yukari used to say that about me whenever I contradicted her. She blamed my bad behavior on hormones as soon as I turned 13."

"You have an aunt? Where is she? Why didn't she come with you?" He was immediately distracted from talk of hormones. He knew what thoughts his own hormone development caused, and that wasn't something he wanted to discuss with Naomi.

"She died before I came here. She was very old. She'd been sick for a while. It wasn't exactly unexpected, but she left me completely alone."

"Is that why you came to Konoha? To find your other relatives?"

"Yes, but I didn't know I had any relatives until Aunt Yukari told me to come here when she was dying. I didn't know this was where my family came from. I didn't even know Aunt Yukari wasn't related to me until Lady Tsunade told me who she really was. She was very surprised that the wife of a hokage would end up in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere taking care of me all alone."

"The wife of a hokage? She must have been old. Which hokage?"

"Sarutobi. The Third Hokage," she answered absently.

"What?!" Konohamaru stared at her. His grandmother, Yukari Sarutobi, a grandmother he'd never met, had been alive, and taking care of Naomi Uzumaki all of his life. Why? Why hadn't she been taking care of him?

"Konohamaru? What is it?" She didn't like the way his face had paled.

"Yukari Sarutobi was my grandmother," he said in a flat, cold voice.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry. I forgot. I wasn't supposed to tell you or anyone," she told him in a stricken voice. She'd totally forgotten that Konohamaru was a Sarutobi. She'd known him only as Konohamaru since the day she met him. Lady Tsunade's strictures on keeping the 

information secret only now registered. She hadn't even known Konohamaru then. How was she supposed to remember that at a time like this?

"The Fifth knows all about it?" He frowned.

"No! No, not really. She didn't know anything until I told her about my life," she assured him. "She had no idea Aunt Yukari was still alive."

"Did my grandfather know where she was all this time? I wonder if my uncle knew. No one told me anything," he said bitterly. After the two of them had died he'd thought his only living relative was the almost three year old cousin Kurenai had given birth to. If he'd known about his grandmother he would have sought her out no matter what her reason for leaving the village. He would have wanted to meet her. He would have wanted her to be a part of his life. "Did she tell you anything? Anything about her family? About why she left Konoha? Why she was taking care of you?"

She shook her head regretfully. "I had no idea until I came here that she wasn't really my aunt. She told me nothing until she had no choice. She didn't want to leave me alone in Kuzu without her. She sent me here, but she only told me to go immediately to the Hokage. I don't even know the names of my parents. She always told me I'd learn about them when I was older."

"I don't understand this. What was she doing? I've got to talk to the Fifth."

"Now?" she asked in dismay.

"Yeah, now." His voice sounded harsh in his determination.

She shook her head. "Not me. I don't want to go back inside."

He frowned impatiently. "I shouldn't leave you alone. The Fifth might not like it."

"I'm not going back to that building. I hate it there. I'll go to the front gate, and wait for Naruto to get off duty," she told him stubbornly. In this mood, he was likely to just rush off, and leave her with Lady Tsunade. She wasn't about to get stuck in there again today.

"I should walk you there," he said hesitantly torn between duty and need.

"You don't have to. I know where it is. It's the way I got into Konoha when I first arrived. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Despite his distraction, he did worry a little. He felt guilty that he seemed to backing out of his promise to keep her company until Naruto was off duty. "I'll come back, and take you to lunch when I finish with the Fifth."

"You don't have to."

"I promised I would. I want to. I just need some answers from the Fifth first."

"Okay," she agreed, and waved him on his way. "Hurry back."

They hadn't gotten too far away from the ninja complex, but still he took off at a run. He wanted to catch the Hokage as soon as possible. She had a tendency to make herself scarce when she wanted to.

Naomi sighed.

If only she'd learned to keep her mouth shut. She should have known how to do that from having only her aunt for the first 14 years of her life to talk to, but apparently when given the opportunity she was a real chatterbox. Her aunt had never liked excessive chatter. Maybe that's why Naomi had talked aloud to herself whenever she was alone, and now found it so easy to talk to everyone. She wasn't meant to be a reclusive type. She was meant to be around people, to laugh and to talk—and not keep secrets. Did that mean she wouldn't make a good ninja? Ninja had to keep secrets. Maybe it was just one more skill she had to practice.

She gave this some thought as she made her way slowly towards the front gate, looking at everything around her as if with new eyes. She could actually look at things without Lady Tsunade rushing her into work every morning. If Konohamaru took his time, she'd be able to explore a little on her own since Lady Tsunade never gave her the opportunity.

She hoped Konohamaru wasn't too mad at Lady Tsunade. She didn't want him to get into trouble. It seemed like he could hold his own just like Naruto did, but she couldn't be certain of that. He was younger than Naruto, and not as experienced. And he seemed a little angry at being kept in the dark about his grandmother. Angry people said and did stupid things sometimes. She hoped Konohamaru wouldn't say or do anything stupid.

She worried about him intermittently in her exploration of the village.

* * *

Konohamaru left the ninja complex feeling frustrated, angry, unsatisfied, and sad.

The Hokage had apologized for not telling him about his grandmother sooner. She'd been hoping to find more information before letting him know. She'd been scouring old files left by his grandfather, but so far had found nothing to explain Yukari's existence in a remote village for the last 18 years instead of lying dead in her grave where everyone had thought her to be.

She'd turned his misplaced anger into more productive lines by asking him to search through his grandfather's papers at home for information. He'd asked about Naomi, but she had nothing to tell him on that front either. All she told him was that Naomi was conclusively a relative of Naruto's. Any other information regarding Naomi was none of his business unless it involved something he needed to know about his grandmother.

He had to be satisfied with those unsatisfactory answers, because she wouldn't divulge anything else. He finally left her office just barely containing himself from slamming the door shut to vent his anger. He did take some pleasure from kicking it out of his way as he left the room.

He wasn't normally given to dwelling in melancholy or anger so he'd shaken off this mood by the time he reached the front gate. He was looking forward to pumping Naomi for information about the grandmother he never knew. Only she could tell him what Yukari Sarutobi was like, because his grandfather never mentioned her, and Konohamaru had been too young when he'd died to think about long dead relatives.

When he reached the front gate, Botan was practicing his chakra control while Naruto was abstractedly watching his temporary apprentice as well as the front gate.

"Hey, Naruto, where's Naomi?" he greeted after Naruto grinned, and waved at him.

"Naomi? Isn't she at the ninja complex under the Hokage's eagle eye?"

"No. She was supposed to meet me here. We were going to lunch after I talked to the Fifth. She was afraid the Fifth would make her go back to work so she said she'd wait here."

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed in alarm. "You left her alone! She isn't supposed to be alone. What were you thinking?"

He got defensive. "What do you mean? Why can't she be alone? She's as old as I am. She's perfectly capable of walking around the village in broad daylight."

"The Fifth doesn't want her wandering around by herself especially when we've got a killer on the loose. Damn it, Konohamaru! You aren't supposed to be alone with her anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded scowling at Naruto.

"You shouldn't be flirting with her. She's too young."

Konohamaru turned red. "What are you talking about? I was just being friendly. What do you think I'd do—run off with her?"

"No! No! Of course not!" he sputtered, but that was exactly what he'd thought somewhere in the back of his mind, and the Hokage had only reinforced that idea.

"What do you think I am—some kind of playboy? I haven't even been on a date yet!" he insisted, but didn't reveal that it wasn't because he hadn't been asked.

"Damn it, Konohamaru! She's my cousin. I have to watch out for her. What am I supposed to do stuck here at the gate?" Naruto demanded angry and anxious, and trying to change the subject."

"I don't believe you don't trust me," he said angrily.

"I do. It's just I've never been responsible for a kid before let alone a girl. It makes me think weird things. Sorry, if I misjudged you."

Konohamaru stared at him a moment. For two ryous, he'd stalk off, and leave Naruto to figure out what to do—but he was worried about her, too. And he felt responsible for her disappearance. "I'll go find her. Don't worry."

"You better," he said gruffly. "Bring her back here when you find her. If I don't hear from you in 20 minutes, I'm contacting the Hokage. Your ass will be grass then."

"Okay, okay. I'll find her." He said then took off. He'd thought her safe enough to find her way to the front gate. Why wasn't she here? Naruto's worry suddenly made him more anxious.

_Where are you, Naomi?_


	32. Finding Naomi

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXXII. Finding Naomi

"Have you seen a blond girl about my age?"

"No."

"She has blue eyes, and she's a few centimeters shorter than me."

"No."

"She was wearing dark blue shorts, and a big shirt."

"No."

"Her hair was in a ponytail?

"No."

As Konohamaru followed the path Naomi would have taken from the ninja complex, asking everyone he passed if they'd seen Naomi, three Naruto's showed up to lend him a hand. He was grateful for the help, but was surprised by the fact that Naruto had been obviously more worried than he'd first admitted. If Naruto was willing to use up chakra on making clones for searching then Naomi's disappearance began to make him anxious, too. He shouldn't have let her go off on her own. He should have waited to speak to the Hokage. It hadn't been something urgent except in his own mind. He could have talked to her anytime, and gotten the same response.

In the daytime, he'd thought Konoha was fairly safe, but to a naïve, untrained girl who new to the village, and knowing only a few people, perhaps it could be a dangerous place. That wasn't a pleasant thought for someone who'd had the run of every corner of Konoha all his life. He'd felt safe in Konoha all his life, but he'd never been actually alone. There'd always been ninja around watching out for him. Until now he hadn't realized how protected he'd really been.

Konoha today was somewhat different than when he was younger. There were more strangers in the village now than there had been then. On the one hand that was good, because attracting outsiders for commerce and tourism made Konoha more prosperous. On the other hand, it brought a number of transients into village—pleasant and unpleasant like those monk bank robbers. It made generally Konoha less safe despite its usual ninja contingent. And at this time when Konoha's ninja resources were strained, it made the village a possibly very unsafe place.

With these thoughts, his search took on a new urgency.

"Have you seen a blonde, blue-eyed girl about my age, but shorter, wearing shorts and an oversized shirt?"

"Did she have a puppy?"

"What?!" He scratched his head. "No—I mean—she didn't when I last saw her."

"The girl I saw was walking down the street following a puppy—it looked like that anyway. That's the only girl like you described that I saw."

"Down the street past the business district?"

"Yeah, right, down the street."

Konohamaru stared down the street. Could that have been Naomi? Was she following a puppy? Why would she follow a puppy?

He shook his head. It didn't matter. This was his only lead, and he had to follow it. He started down the street. He'd add a puppy to his description, and see where that led him. If this lead turned out to be bogus, he hoped one of the Naruto clones had better luck.

He wouldn't want anything to happen to Naomi. Not only would it be devastating for Naruto to lose his only relative, but Konohamaru would be pretty upset himself to lose this new friend. Even without her Naruto connection, he really liked her.

* * *

As she swam into consciousness, Naomi felt something cold and hard beneath her cheek then she felt it beneath her hand, her chest, her hip, her leg. Putting the feelings together, she had the impression that she was lying down probably on the floor not actual ground. It felt too smooth to be dirt.

At first she felt frozen, as if she couldn't move, but it was an internal feeling not external. There didn't seem to be any physical reason for her inertia.

She tried to open her eyes, and the effort sent a wave of pain rippling across her head. She felt as if a hammer was being used on the inside of her skull to crack an opening.

This effort stilled any other thought of physical movements until the pain subsided, but meanwhile her mind was busily engaged in figuring out what had happened. Where was she? Why was she lying here? What did she remember of the events leading up to this moment?

Not very much to explain her present position, but a few other things came to mind.

She remembered Konohamaru and his friends, the possibly nice but very wimpy, Udon, and the bitch in need of an attitude adjustment, Moegi. Those were very vivid, but unpleasant memories. Mostly because of Moegi.

How could a nice guy like Konohamaru have such lame friends? She wondered what skills they could possibly have to make them valuable team mates for the grandson of a hokage. Maybe Konohamaru was right in thinking of quitting his team. Maybe he could do better than the likes of those two. Why couldn't he have cool team mates like Sakura or Hinata or Kiba or Lee? Naruto's friends were a lot more interesting, and nice than Konohamaru's. Why had Moegi been so bitchy?

The thought of Moegi's distain gave her the determination to open her eyes. She could picture Moegi looking down her nose with a superior look in her eyes. She could almost hear her calling Naomi a wimp and a coward, and unworthy of being Konohamaru's friend or Naruto's cousin. She couldn't have that even in her imagination. She wretched her eyes open almost gasping at the pain, and gagging as her vision blurred and twirled making her dizzy.

She must have hit her head. That was why she was lying on the ground. That was why her head hurt so badly. That was why her vision was skewed. Her brain had to recover somewhat from its injuries. Luckily, she had come to, and not lain here in a coma where no one would find her. That was an interesting thought. She must be someplace unusual for her unconscious to recognize that she might not be quickly found.

She reached up to gently feel the back of her head.

Her hair was matted at the place where she felt the most pain. Gingerly, she felt a lump on her head through the clump of her hair. It felt wet, and sticky. She brought her hand down to stick in front of her face, and through the dim light saw the streaks of dark red blood smearing her fingers.

Not only was she hit, but she had an open wound as well. She remembered Aunt Yukari telling her that head wounds often appeared more serious then they actually were because they bled so readily. She also remembered hearing that the blow itself which caused internal bleeding was more serious than an external wound. She appeared to have both. Was this just _bad_ or _really bad_?

She lay still calming her sudden panicky thoughts. She had to get over her dizziness, stand up, and find out where exactly she was.

As she lay quietly, slowing the beat of her heart which had been pounding in her ears drowning out any other sound, she became aware of a new sound. It sounded like a muted whimper. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, and turned her head towards the sound.

Lying beside her trussed up, and muzzled was a squirming, panicky puppy.

What was a puppy doing here?

Before giving that thought the attention it deserved, she stretched out carefully so as not to jar her head, and attempted to untie the wriggling puppy. She started with the muzzle first. It looked to be the simplest binding to handle. She didn't have to untie it, she only had to push it off. It should have been an easy task, but with her aching head, trembling fingers, and the anxious wriggling of the puppy eyeing her with wide, fearful eyes, it took her more effort than anything she'd ever done in her life.

Her efforts were finally rewarded with a steady, strident barking which jarred her head even further. How she wished she'd started with the ties on the puppies feet first! Listening to toenails clacking against the ground would have been less wearing than the constant barking. The puppy just couldn't settle down. He had to complain loudly about her treatment.

"Shush, little boy! Shush! It's okay now. I'm going to free you. Just give me a few minutes," she tried to reassure him. "Please, be quiet. Please."

But the puppy was still scared at being tied up. He couldn't stop yapping. Naomi relaxed herself as much as possible before reaching over to free the puppy completely. As it turned out, she was able to push the rope off the puppy's feet instead of untying them which would have been harder to do. Whoever had tied up the puppy had done so humanely. He wouldn't have gotten hurt with bindings that cut off circulation, but he wouldn't have gotten himself loose very easily either.

Once the puppy was completely freed, he scrambled to his feet then came over to Naomi, and tried to lick her face. Naomi held up her hands, and turned her head giving a little laugh then a groan as her head vibrated with pain. She had to sit up or the puppy would lick her to death. Puppies were sweet, but she really didn't want to be kissed on the mouth by one. She'd rather her first kiss be with a human boy.

She put her hands on her head to hold it steady, braced her feet, counted to three, then threw herself forward into a sitting position.

She closed her eyes quickly to squelch the sudden dizziness. It wasn't as bad as it had been when she'd first woken, but she still felt some dizziness and queasiness from her head injury.

The puppy tried to jump in her sort of lap, but she nudged him away with her elbows. She still held onto her head. It felt better that way.

After a short time, she opened her eyes, slowly turned her head, and looked around.

She was in a darkened room. There were shades on the windows, but daylight outlined the window frames. She couldn't see anything in the small room except herself and the puppy. Where was she? Was she locked in? How did she get here? Why couldn't she remember the puppy?

Maybe she hadn't even seen the puppy before. Maybe she'd heard it whimpering, and came in to rescue it. Maybe the person who'd trussed up the puppy had hit her on the head. What if that person were still around? She had to get up, and get out of here.

She drew up her knees, took one hand from her head to brace the floor, and stood up

This was almost worse than sitting up. She reached forward, and stumbled to the wall to brace herself so she didn't fall down again. If she could just stay upright, the dizziness would pass, and she could find a way out.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass. For a moment the circles behind her eyelids blackened, and she thought she might pass out, but then the circles lightened, and she was able to open her eyes.

The puppy danced around her feet still yapping, but not as loudly or insistently.

She hugged the wall, and made her way to the door. She was prepared for it to be locked, but it opened easily. She went through to the outside, shielding her eyes from the bright light.

Blinded by the light, she fell down the three steps leading to street level, falling to her knees. More pain reverberated through her head, but she didn't pass out. She held herself still until the pain subsided to a heavy throb. Putting a hand on the stairs, she pulled herself up, and leaning against the wall of the building, she walked carefully down the alley she seemed to be in towards the light end, and hopefully people and safety.

* * *

Konohamaru looked down every alley for signs of Naomi or even a puppy as he walked away from the busy market district. It was still just early afternoon. He passed a bar which didn't open until evening. He passed the closed and deserted theater now that the theater troupe had left. He was just heading into the warehouse district when he saw Naomi stagger out of an alley ahead of him.

"Naomi!" he called, and ran towards her. His alarm grew as he saw the red streaks of blood drying down the side of her face, with splatters staining her clothes. He barely noticed the puppy yipping at her heels.

"Konohamaru!" she cried in return collapsing in his arms. "You found me! I was praying someone would be close by. I thought I might pass out again."

"Pass out! Damn, you're bleeding!"

She put a hand up to her head, but dropped it before touching the mat of blood on the back of her head. "I know. I think I hit my head or something." She turned her had a little to show him.

Konohamaru winced at what he saw there. "You need a medic like now. I'm going to call for help. I still have my radio." He leaned against the building next to them for added support and held her against him so she wouldn't fall to the ground. She didn't need another blow to the already nasty looking wound on her head.

"Lady Tsunade's going to be mad at me," she worried.

"Don't worry. She won't yell at you while you're hurt," he promised. He and Naruto would see to that. He called Naruto at the front gate who promised to send more clones to help him get Naomi to the hospital. He sounded really worried. Konohamaru tried to reassure him, but he didn't know anything about head wounds. He'd seen injuries before, though, worse looking than Naomi's. However, head wounds could be bad. He had to keep Naomi conscious, that much he did know.

He finished his call for help, then turned his gaze back to her peering down into her face. "Don't close your eyes, Naomi! You have to stay awake. You might have a concussion. Walk with me. I'll support you, but I can't let you go to sleep." He put his arm around her shoulders, and guided her back down the street. It would be quicker if they went back through the market district even though they might run into a lot of curious people.

"I know. Aunt Yukari taught me all about the nature and treatment of wounds. I was unconscious, but I haven't passed out again since I woke up."

"Where were you? What happened?"

"I can't remember anything since I left you and your friends, and I woke up in that building next to the alley where you found me. I wasn't locked in or anything, but the puppy had been tied up."

"Yeah, the puppy," he frowned down at the little dog yipping at their feet. "What were you doing with a puppy?"

"I don't know! I don't remember!" she cried in frustration.

"Okay. Calm down. It'll come back to you later."

"I thought maybe I'd heard him whimpering or something."

"No, that's not the case. Someone in the market told me they'd seen you following the puppy."

"Was I? I wonder why?"

"We'll worry about that later. Let's just get you to the hospital."

Four Naruto clones showed up as they reached the market district. Konohamaru quickly explained the situation. Two of them went immediately to search the building Naomi told them she'd woken up in. The other two of tried to push him aside, but he insisted on staying by her side. One of the clones took her other side, and they lifted her legs so it appeared she was sitting. The other clone drew her arms across their shoulders, and stayed behind them for support, and they walked as quickly as possible to the hospital only slowing down when Naomi groaned if they jarred her. The puppy followed them, its yipping growing more sporadic.

The bleeding of her head had slowed to a trickle that dried quickly under the heat of the early fall sun. It still felt like summer not fall, but leaves were falling as the days shortened. Cool weather was just around the corner.

Lady Tsunade was waiting for them at the hospital with the real Naruto. A nurse waited with her, and the two of them took custody of Naomi ordering Naruto and Konohamaru to wait outside the examination room.

"What happened?" Naruto asked tersely while he paced outside the room.

"I don't know. I found her coming out of an alley."

"What? Where?"

"The first building in the warehouse district. Your clones are checking it out now."

"Good. What did she tell you?"

"Not much. She couldn't remember anything."

They stood quietly, the only sound in the hall was the scratching of nails against wood as the puppy tried to get into the room that housed Naomi.

Naruto's attention was drawn to the noise. "What's that?"

"A puppy. Naomi said it was tied up next to her in the room she woke up in. Someone in the market said they'd seen her walking down the street following the puppy."

Naruto picked the puppy up, and stroked it quiet. "What was she doing with a puppy?"

He shrugged. "She doesn't remember."

"Damn! If she doesn't remember anything how are we going to find out what happened?"

"Maybe your clones have found out something in the building she was in," he said hopefully.

But when they finally showed up, they had nothing to report. They found evidence of Naomi's presence in the room she claimed to have woken in, but nothing else. There was no sign of habitation in that virtually empty warehouse except for the signs that Naomi and the puppy had left.

Once Naruto and Konohamaru were allowed into Naomi's room, they found out a little more.

"What do you remember now?" Tsunade asked once the others were in the room.

Naomi had been cleaned up, bandaged and dressed in a hospital gown. She looked pale and very young as she lay in the large hospital bed.

She'd been thinking of nothing else as Tsunade had tended her wounds with nary a scold or question until this minute. Slowly, her immediate past had begun to take shape in her mind. By leaving her to her thoughts, Tsunade had enabled them to clarify. "I remember being in the marketplace. I just wanted to look around a little before I went to the front gate to wait for Konohamaru. I saw a puppy. He seemed to be following something, but I couldn't see what it was so I followed him. He led me to a building. The door seemed to be open. The puppy went in, and I followed. Once I got through the door, something hit me in the back of the head. I 

went down, but I didn't pass out immediately. I heard the puppy being tied up. Then I heard a man laugh and say something before I finally passed out."

"A man? What did he say?"

"He said 'You're no good for my purposes, little one. I'm going to have to throw you back.'"

Naruto frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Think about it, Naruto. The only ones attacked so far have been men. If blood is what this man needs, the bigger the source, the more blood he can draw. Fortunately, he decided not to drain Naomi, although a blow on the head could have been just as deadly," Tsunade explained patiently.

Naruto punched one hand into the palm of the other. "Damn him! Did you see or hear anything else that would give us some clue to the identity of this man, Naomi?"

She almost shook her head, but caught herself just in time from a world of pain. "No. I didn't see anyone or anything except the puppy until I heard the man's voice."

He looked down at the puppy standing on his hind legs with the other two braced against the bed to try to see Naomi. "Too bad, dogs can't talk."

"Dogs can talk—to each other, and some can talk to ninja. Maybe Kiba can help us with this. Naruto, why don't you go find Kiba and Akamaru. Konohamaru isn't it time you were getting some rest?" Tsunade forcibly suggested.

"I can't leave now!" he protested. "I've got to know what happened."

She stared at him a moment, but he didn't back down. "Fine. Wait here then. Keep watch over Naomi. I don't want her sleeping yet. Get going, Naruto. I'll be back when you've returned with Kiba and Akamaru."

Tsunade and Naruto purposefully left the room on individual missions.

Konhamaru bent down to pick up the puppy who was still trying to see Naomi. "See boy, she's fine." He kept the puppy in his lap, and calmed his excitement with scratching under his ear.

"Am not," she denied with a smile.

"Are too—fine enough for now anyway."

"I have a major headache, and I feel really tired, Konohamaru. I just want to close my eyes, and go to sleep."

"You can't!"

"I know. So talk to me about something to keep me awake."

"You should do the talking. That would really keep you awake."

"It hurts my head to talk," she complained. "You."

"Okay, okay. But, I don't know what to talk about. What do you want to know?"

She folded her hands over her stomach, and looked at him expectantly. "Tell me about you and Naruto. When did you first meet and become friends?"

He laughed, and settled back comfortably in his chair. "That's a hard one to answer. We weren't friends at first. We were rivals. You see, we both planned to be the next hokage," he said, then began the story of the first time he'd met Naruto Uzumaki.


	33. Naruto's discovery

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXXIII. Naruto's discovery

_Puppies_, Naruto thought in disgust as he walked his beat the following night with Botan. Why did anyone think asking a puppy anything serious would garner a straight answer? It was like asking a two-year questions. A complete waste of time.

The puppy, who couldn't remember where he came from or who he belonged to, had been following food that morning. He found some on the ground, and followed the smell to find some more. The smell had led him into a dark building. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he'd jumped when something fell beside him. He'd barked. Then he'd been grabbed and tied up by hands he could feel but not see. He'd struggled but couldn't free himself. He'd tried to tell the person lying beside him that he wanted to be free, but that person was sleeping or something. He'd wriggled around making muted noises, but nothing happened. Finally, the person on the ground woke up, and released him. He'd been so happy, he'd licked and licked that person. Then he'd followed that person to a new building, and now he was petted and fed and even happier.

That was the complete sum of everything the puppy knew. He saw no one else. He smelled only food. He sensed nothing else. Everything was new to him so he didn't know what would be strange or out of place. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He had everything he wanted, and was happy now.

Kiba and Akamaru did their best, but that was all they could get out of the puppy. He wasn't a ninja dog. He had no special abilities or training. He was just a few months old. He was an incredibly frustrating witness to all concerned even Akamaru.

After a final bark from the completely healed Akamaru, Kiba sat back on his heels staring down at the puppy wagging his tail, his tongue hanging out of his mouth in what looked like a completely goofy smile. He couldn't stay angry at the puppy, but he wished that he and Akamaru had been able to come up with something concrete that would lead to a conclusion to this serious mystery.

"I give up," he said in a weary voice that would have rivaled Shikamaru's at its driest. "He doesn't know anything worthwhile."

"Damn silly puppy," Naruto said affectionately rubbing the top of his head.

Akamaru barked in agreement. The puppy barked, and danced around. He really enjoyed the attention he was getting.

Naruto would have laughed at Kiba and Akamaru's sour frustrated expressions if he hadn't felt the same way. Their one hope to know more about their killer was gone. They were back to square one. He didn't know when he'd ever felt more frustrated with an assignment.

Both he and Kiba stood up from their crouched positions beside the puppy. Naruto bent down to pick him up, and return the puppy to Naomi's room just down the hall from the empty hospital room they'd taken over for this fruitless interrogation. Once they were inside Naomi's room, it was standing room only. It looked like a party going on.

Naomi looked as happy and excited as the puppy with so many people showing up at the hospital to check on her welfare. Hinata, Sakura, Lee, Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were there besides Konohamaru. Once he, Kiba, Akamaru and the puppy showed up the room was almost too crowded for movement. Apparently, Shino had volunteered for front gate duty since he wasn't yet acquainted with Naruto's cousin as the others on his team were.

He was glad to see so many people concerned for his cousin. He didn't want her to feel the aloneness he'd suffered in his life. He was happy to share his dear friends with her. He was even more relieved that she didn't appear to be the enemy they were looking for. The Fifth had done a good job of sowing a few seeds of doubt in his head. When he was with Naomi he knew she couldn't be evil, but when they were apart he couldn't help thinking—what if? Especially since her childhood had been so strange. But with this vicious attack on her that worry was lifted from his mind and heart.

When he started his patrol the next evening, Naomi was still safely in the hospital. He and the Fifth had one less worry with her under the watch of the medical personnel. He could concentrate his thoughts on the one who'd hurt her. If he could just find that guy, he'd be one sorry killer. Naruto intended to make him suffer ten times as much as he'd made Naomi suffer. No one could hurt a relative of his and get away with it.

But where was the author of all those horrendous crimes now?

There had been no trace of him in the warehouse district where Naomi had been knocked out or anywhere else for that matter. They still had no clue who or what he was. All they could do was wait for him to make his next attack. And Naruto wanted to be there to take him down.

He was no longer taking his patrol work as lightly as he may have done in the beginning. He didn't allow Botan the usual chatter as they walked their beat in the village. He wanted to remain completely aware to everything around him. He was ready to react to every noise they heard. He was determined that anything he saw or heard without an obvious and reasonable explanation would be investigated. That enemy—that killer was out there somewhere planning his next attack. Naruto was determined to be the one to find him before another person was hurt.

It was during their sweep of their second section of the village, sometime after midnight that Naruto and Botan came upon two villagers breaking curfew after visiting one of the local bars. They stumbled along, loudly hushing one another, as they attempted to sneak home. In disgust all Naruto could see was two guys with a victim sign hanging over their heads.

"What are you two doing out here? Don't you know there's a curfew on?" he demanded.

"Sh-shush! You gotta be quiet!" they admonished him putting fingers to their lips to blow loudly.

"Do you remember why there's a curfew, and you should stay safely at home?" he asked impatiently.

They looked at each other then started giggling, and shaking their heads.

He put his hands on his hips, and shook his head in return. "I should take the two of you into lock up. You know that don't you?"

They shook their heads. "Noooo. We're sorry. We forgot. Sh-shush!"

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, shush. Where do you live?"

"Right down there. Next door to my best friend." They both gestured down the street almost falling over, and put arms around each other's shoulders which helped to hold them up, but could just as easily have pulled them down.

"That makes this easy. Botan, walk those two the rest of the way home. I know they live just down the street, but let's make sure they get there safely. I'll wait here for you," he told him. They didn't need him on that walk. He was too angry.

He was torn between giving them a lecture they probably wouldn't be able to remember or knocking them out, and dragging them home. He couldn't believe how stupid some people could be. Didn't they realize that the curfew was for their own good? Didn't they realize that just because they were together didn't mean they were safe? Didn't they remember that two men were found attacked one night, as well as the night Akamaru and a man had been killed? He caught himself from running after them, and saying just that, because what would be the point? They may have known all those things before taking their first drink, but their memories were soused now.

Besides, it was better for him to remain where he was, watching Botan escort them home from his vantage point at the top of the street. He could listen to the night sounds of the village more clearly alone.

As Botan walked the two drunks down the street, Naruto settled in a dark corner at the edge of the nearest alley. It didn't matter how dark the corner was, he knew he was hardly invisible. Between his yellow hair, and heavy on the orange outfit, the only way he could hide in the dark was under a blanket. But, hey, maybe he'd be an attractive target to their killer. A man alone. A grown man with a body flowing with blood. The seemingly perfect victim.

Yeah, maybe they should have thought of that in the first place—using a lure in the village in the middle of the night to draw out their killer. He would have gladly volunteered to be that person. He definitely wanted to meet this killer face to face. He was skilled enough to take on anyone. He knew he could take down this particular killer once they were face to face. He was incredibly motivated.

As he stood brooding in his corner, he became aware of a noise down the alley. It sounded like a foot scuffing against a rock. He looked down the street to check on Botan who was still trying to get those two falling down drunks to their homes. They weren't quite there yet, but they seemed to be alright.

He looked down the alley. He listened, and again heard what sounded like a foot kicking a rock.

Pushing himself off the wall, he decided to give the alley a quick check before Botan returned. They were due to meet Hinata on the way back to the front gate soon. This little detour would only take a few minutes.

* * *

Konoha's curfew had put a little crimp in his hunting style, but not a serious one. Although his prey was no longer as plentiful as it had been when allowed to walk carelessly around at all hours of the night awaiting his pleasure, this little set back only made his hunt more challenging not terminated. Eventually someone would become lax, and he would spring. He 

wanted his parting gift to the village to be an impressive one. It amused him to think of this little hamlet in a panic while he was far away enjoying the taste of another village, town or city.

He'd followed two drunks from the bar only because he hadn't found any other hapless victims wandering the streets. However, they weren't exactly what he was looking for—not because there were two of them—he could easily handle two, especially drunks, and maybe even three—but he wasn't ready to take a risk for just anyone. In every attack there was always a chance of exposure. He always chose his victims with great care. He still had time to select the best for his swan song. He had no problem waiting even a week longer to choose the ideal victim. He'd done it before—many times.

He'd been surprised to discover that this village was a hidden village. At first, he'd considered abandoning it altogether, but after a few days he'd found no serious deterrent to his activities. The few ninja patrolling the village streets hadn't worried him in the least. He'd laughed to himself when he'd seen that Konoha had to resort to children for protection having too few adult ninja to rely on. Children—even well-trained ninja children—held no power to caution him. He had certain advantages that made the idea of children as a defense laughable.

He was strong—incredibly strong—stronger than most men which was one beneficial side effect of his curse. His curse had also given him the paralyzing effect of his saliva which activated as soon as it was introduced through a puncture under the skin. Applying this agent to the neck affected the brain so quickly, his victims were barely aware of their imminent danger. And his last and greatest advantage was a gekkai kenkai that made him superior to almost every one.

He could easily avoid the few patrolling ninja while he trolled for his last meal in Konoha. Not even a huge, well-trained ninja dog had been able to stop him. There was nothing to fear in this hidden village.

He hadn't even worried yesterday when that child had followed the puppy who had followed him. He could have killed her out right, but he'd been magnanimous and spared both their lives. He'd made a promise not to feed on children, and he'd kept that promise although it had been tempting. But a child didn't offer him enough nourishment. It was pointless to kill one when there were more adequate meals walking around. Plus killing a child only made the villagers more determined to catch him which could lead to problems avoiding detection. No he would settle for big, strapping men to quench his hunger. Draining one more would satisfy his needs for several weeks. All he requireded before he left was one more. Just one.

He watched as the two ninja on patrol separated—one to take care of the drunks and one to stand watch at the head of the alley. One was a child sent on an escort of the two drunks, and didn't interest him. The other one, however, nicely met all his requirements. He was muscular, and full-grown. He'd make an acceptable meal. And killing a ninja would really excite the village.

As he studied his prey through the darkness of the alley, he realized that he'd seen this ninja before with his striking, blonde hair, and brash personality. He didn't care for him. Not just because he was a ninja, but for his attention grabbing appearance, and swaggering attitude. This young man could well be his antithesis—all brightness, openness, and attention while he, himself, represented the dark, the shadows, and secrecy. He spent his time attracting as little attention as possible. He had no envy for this young ninja, but he did resent that he couldn't be as open about who and what he was. It was the principle of the thing. So he took an instant dislike to the young man, a dislike which meant he could enjoyably act on his feelings. He could drain the young man for a punishment. It would make his meal all the more delicious.

Yes, this was just the victim he was looking for.

As he watched, he noticed that the ninja seemed tense, and unusually attentive to the sounds in the night. That would aid his purposes admirably.

He deliberately kicked a stone out of his way immediately drawing the young ninja's attention. He stood quietly watching and waiting for the young man to investigate the dark alley where he could see nothing at all apprehensive. Unless he was unusually sensitive to the mood and feelings of those around him, he would continue to see nothing until it was too late. He would never suspect the hunger, euphoria, and anticipation that permeated this alley.

He quelled the urge to laugh and his mounting excitement as the ninja proceeded exactly on the course he wanted.

* * *

It didn't take much for Hinata to feel all aglow about Naruto. Just thinking about him did that. Knowing she would be seeing him any minute made her glow even brighter. She was glad no one could read her mind, and it was too dark to read her expression.

After finishing their patrol, Hinata and Akira had stopped about a block away, but out of sight of the front gate to wait for Naruto and Botan. She and Naruto had made those arrangements earlier so they could spend a little time together during their guard duty. It wasn't much, but she would take any crumb she could get just to be with him. Even more thrilling to her—it had been Naruto's idea. He'd also wanted to spend even a few minutes together—almost alone—during their long night duty. He'd said it made their usual boring duty more endurable when he could see her. She hadn't stopped experiencing that warm and fuzzy feeling since he'd said that. It almost made her forget the importance of their job.

_Naruto. Naruto. Naruto_.

She loved saying his name even if only in her head. When she was alone at home, she would say it aloud more often then she'd want anyone to know—especially Naruto. Would it scare him off if he knew just how much she loved him? She'd worry about that until she knew he felt the same. Like was acceptable to her now, but how she wished he would use the word love—just once.

It was so nice to be on the same team where they could see each other more often then waiting for concurrent free time on different teams. When they were on separate teams their free time rarely seemed to coincide. Once the older ninja began returning to the village, and things got back to normal, she and Naruto would be split up again. How would they be able to maintain a relationship when they couldn't see each other for weeks even months at a time? If Naruto didn't see her for so long would he grow less fond of her? Would she never hear him finally tell her that he loved her?

She shook her head violently in an effort to dispel her negative thoughts. She could never seem to squelch her doubts completely. Her lack of confidence was always her worst enemy. If she didn't trust Naruto—what he said and what he did—she would surely lose him. Relationships were all about trust. She had to trust that Naruto was sincere. She could not let anyone—especially herself spoil what they had together. She must be strong.

She turned to watch the direction from which Naruto would return to the front gate, peering into the darkness for a glimpse of his sunny head. However, it wasn't Naruto who came running towards her.

"Lady Hinata! Lady Hinata!"

She watched blankly as Botan without Naruto, rushed to a stop in front of her. Frantically, he continued to call her name even with her right before him.. She felt her blankness begin to develop into a moment of panic. Naruto! Where was Naruto? She reached out to grasp Botan's shoulders.

"Lady Hinata!" Botan gasped out once more. There was a stitch in his side, he'd run so fast and panicky. He would have fallen to his knees if Hinata had not been clutching him in a hard grip.

"Calm down, Botan. Catch your breath then tell me what's wrong," she said much more calmly then she felt. Something had happened to Naruto or he would be here.

"Lady Hinata!" he gasped again gulping in huge breaths of air.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked the question that had been upper most in her mind since she'd heard Botan's call, and seen him alone.

"He's gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean?" She just barely stopped herself from shaking him.

"Lady Hinata—he just disappeared!"

"Show me! Explain on the way." She could no longer contain her urgency.

Botan led the way moving as quickly as he could since he was still out of breath. Hinata and Akira followed.

"He was supposed to wait for me while I walked a couple of drunken guys down the street to their homes. I was only gone a few minutes. When I got back—he was just gone."

"Where was this?"

"He was waiting near the alley that opened out at the ninja school. He was just supposed to wait for me, but he wasn't there—he wasn't there!"

"Did you go into the alley?"

"I looked into it, but I didn't see anybody—not Naruto—not anybody. He just wasn't there!"

"Let's hurry," she said urgently.

It only took them a few minutes to reach the alley where Botan had last seen Naruto.

"This is it," he said gesturing helplessly.

Hinata gave the alley a brief look before giving orders. "Botan, you and Akira wait here. If I seem to disappear too, go immediately to the front gate for help. I would give you my radio, but I might need it."

They both nodded, and stood back watching her.

She turned to face the alley still seeing nothing in the darkness. This was definitely a job for her special skills.

"Byakugan," she said softly as she engaged her gekkai kenkai.

What she saw when she next looked down the alley made her gasp at first with fear, but that was quickly overtaken with rage.


	34. The game's afoot

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXXIV. The games afoot

Naruto lay prone, unmoving on the ground halfway down the alley.

A large, dark shape squatted menacingly over him.

Hinata now knew what the phrase _tunnel vision _meant, because nothing else existed for her except the sight of Naruto, and his attacker. Everything else in her view was simply black. In one frozen moment her world went from unknown fear to alarmed rage.

She opened her mouth, and screamed in a voice no one had ever heard before. _**"Leave him alone, you bastard!!"**_

Without further pause, she ran towards the dark shape, and when she was close enough she jumped and kicked him away from her Naruto. Her force was so great that he went flying several meters. She spared herself only one all-encompassing glance towards Naruto—just to reassure herself—but that swift glance offered her no immediate relief. He simply lay stiff, and stared sightlessly into the night with blood trickling from two puncture wounds in his neck. She steeled herself from wanting to immediately drop to her knees beside him, and stepped firmly away from him so he wouldn't get hurt in the fight. She turned her gaze to her opponent, and positioned her hands and feet ready for the enemy's return attack. She couldn't take time yet to check out Naruto's condition. She had to subdue his attacker first. He would expect her to take care of business before attending to him. She knew that to be his nindo way.

But the man in the completely camouflaging black robe with his further shielding wide-brimmed straw hat scrambled quickly to his feet, and instead of rushing forward to attack her—without any obvious hesitation turned and ran away.

Hinata stared after him in shock, her mouth gaping open. The last thing she had expected was for him to run. Her adrenaline was primed for a fight. It took her a split second to recover, and when she did she called to the two young genin waiting confused at the other end of the alley. Now you don't see him, now you do was all they understood about Naruto's sudden appearance. When she'd entered the alley, Hinata was the only person they could see. They'd exchanged confused looks when she'd jumped at nothing they could determine. Naruto suddenly appearing had been a complete surprise to them. They both began to feel a great appreciation and respect for Hinata's Byakugan after witnessing it in action.

"Botan! Akira! Take care of Naruto. Use his radio to call for help. Stay here, and guard him. I'm going after his attacker!"

She didn't wait for their response. She immediately took off after the dark figure. As she ran, she used her radio to inform the others undoubtedly awaiting them at the front gate for the shift change.

"Shikamaru—Naruto's been attacked. I'm chasing the man now. He's headed for the front gate. Only I can see him. You won't have time to close the gate. If he gets through follow me," she ordered as if she'd been leading teams all her life. The front gate doors were held in place with a sturdy iron fastening which was too large and heavy for them to close quickly enough to cage the man she followed. He couldn't hide from her in the village not knowing that she could see him. He'd have to escape into the outside, and hope to shake her there, she reasoned. However, he underestimated her determination. She wouldn't allow that to happen if she could help it.

She raced on, but the man was incredibly fast. Her instructions to the others had slowed her down enough that he was out of her direct sight for a short time. Although she could see through buildings, there were a lot of objects and moving people obstructing her view of just this one man. Since his movements were quicker than any of the others she made an assumption as to his identity even though she'd lost the chain of sight.

He was already approaching the front gate just as it came into clear view for her. Choji, Shikamaru, and their genin partners were blocking the gate opening, but from her vantage point she could see the dark robed man crouch then leap completely over their heads, and far through the gate not even touching them. Despite herself, she was impressed by his abilities. He certainly had the athleticism of a ninja to accompany his skill of invisibility. She wondered what other talents he could be hiding. Certainly, confidence in his fighting abilities was not one of them. That might prove a good thing once she'd caught up to him.

"_**Let me through!**_" she called. "_**He's gotten past you!**_"

They stood aside looking around, but seeing nothing. Shikamaru was already ordering the genin to stay and guard the gate. He and Choji waited for Hinata to run through, and then they turned to follow her.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked as they ran.

"He attacked Naruto. He can make himself invisible to the naked eye as well as making his prey invisible. I couldn't see either of them until I engaged my Byakugan."

"That's why we could never catch him in the act!" Choji exclaimed.

"Is Naruto alright?"

"I don't know," she said with some anguish in her voice. "I think the attacker was feeding on Naruto when I arrived. There were two puncture wounds bleeding on his neck, and Naruto wasn't moving when I kicked his attacker away. I think the man can paralyze his victims—maybe through his saliva. If you can't see him—he can bite you before you know he's there."

"Invisible, and a paralytic agent in his saliva? I wonder what other skills he has up his sleeve?" Shikamaru pondered. Those were nasty enough, but he knew to never underestimate an enemy.

"I wish I knew, but he didn't demonstrate any other skills to me. I left Botan and Akira with Naruto to radio for help."

"The Hokage will have gotten word from your message to us. She's probably already there," he reassured her. "Did you recognize him?"

She shook her head. "No. I couldn't get a good look at his face even with my Byakugan. He's completely covered in a long, black robe, and he has a wide-brimmed straw hat which shelters his face. There were no identifying features on either garment. Even when I kicked him away from Naruto, I couldn't get a good view of him. He knows how to protect his identity even when surprised."

"He didn't try to fight?"

"No. He recovered almost immediately from my kick then took off without hesitation. If I'd known he wouldn't fight, I would have followed up my first attack with another more quickly," she confessed regretfully. "My first attack was just to get him away from Naruto. I'd taken up my defensive stance preparing for him to attack me, but he didn't even try."

"Don't let it worry you. We're used to enemies of that caliber fighting back. I'd have done the same. He probably wasn't expecting someone to see him. He took the coward's road," Shikamaru continued to reassure her.

"Anyone who attacks unsuspecting victims in such a sneaky way is definitely a coward!" Choji agreed.

"We'd better stop talking, and conserve our energy. Considering the pace you're setting, Hinata—this guy is fast."

"Yes, he is," she concurred. As the only one who could see him, she had to keep the pace wicked to keep him in view on such a dark night. While he stuck to the road, that was no problem, but when he ducked into the woods, it became considerably more difficult even with her Byakugan. The man almost seemed to fly over the ground as he ran from them. That must have been another of his unusual skills.

The three of them had no choice but to simply follow the man. The only question was—who would tire first?

* * *

They ran for what seemed exactly like the hours it actually was.

The man never seemed to falter although she, Choji and Shikamaru were steadily tapping into chakra to maintain their pace. They even lost some ground as the hours passed. His stamina was extraordinary. He must, also have had some superior vision abilities of his own to avoid running into trees in the dark. Hinata kept her group from disaster, but the man they chased never connected with anything either.

Although intent on her pursuit, Hinata couldn't help thinking of Naruto lying helpless back in Konoha. How long had the man been feeding on him? How long did it take him to drain enough blood to kill his host? Had she reached Naruto in time? Would the nine-tailed fox have any measures to protect him in this situation? Would she sense anything if Naruto were truly in danger?

_Naruto._

They had already moved beyond the range of the radios. If she'd thought about it earlier, she could have called in to check on Naruto's condition. But she'd needed all her breath and attention for the chase. Shikamaru must have thought so, too, or surely he would have called in? He was capable of thinking out these details much sooner than she could. He hadn't suggested an alternative to her plan to chase after the attacker, so that must still be the best course of action.

Why hadn't she realized what was wrong before Botan had come for her? When they'd been parted for long periods of time, she'd swear that she'd had a connection that made strong emotions filter to her that were not engendered by anything occurring in her own life. But Naruto hadn't been available for her to verify these feelings.

_Naruto._

Despite the natural worry she couldn't seem to completely assuage, she knew deep down that Naruto was at still alive. Beyond that she sensed nothing positive or negative regarding his condition. Her only reasonable conclusion was that he was still unconscious. Perhaps when he was unconscious, but not yet in serious danger, there was nothing for her to sense. Or perhaps, this connection was just her imagination. She'd have to consider this more carefully when she wasn't so pressed, but she couldn't believe that she wouldn't know if Naruto were in real danger.

_Naruto._

She felt a tear form in the corner of one eye. She brushed it away impatiently. She had no time for tears, fears, or anything beyond the chase. She had to catch this man for Naruto, as well as all the others he'd already attacked or might attack in the future. It was her mission, and she didn't intend to fail.

They ran on.

* * *

It was still night, but morning could only have been perhaps an hour or two away when the tenor of their chase changed.

They'd left the woods reaching another road. On this road, the attacker overtook a horse-drawn caravan and jumped onto the driver's bench. The driver whipped the horse to speed, and they took off at an even faster pace than the man alone had traveled.

While their enemy was resting comfortably in a rocketing caravan, Hinata & company just gritted their teeth, and pushed on. They began to lose more ground, but never lost complete sight of the caravan even in the dark—not with Hinata's Byakugan.

She was convinced that he'd thought his invisibility a surety against being caught. He'd never anticipated that someone could detect him or he would have chosen his victim more carefully. It had only been a matter of time before either she or Neji had spotted him. It was now just a question of catching up—even only it were that simple.

Fortunately for them, the horse pulling the caravan, and at least two people couldn't maintain a fast pace for more than an hour. As the horse struggled and slowed, despite the influence of the whip they could hear cracking furiously, the team from Konoha began to finally gain ground in their pursuit.

Choji ran to one side of the caravan while Shikamaru and Hinata went to the other side. She chose the side she'd seen the attacker jump aboard. As they began to approach the driver's bench, Hinata asked to make sure, "How many people can you see on the driver's bench?"

Shikamaru strained forward for a full view of the bench. "One."

She nodded her head. It was as she expected. "I'll take care of the invisible one. Since only I can see him, it's best to let me handle him alone. You and Choji take care of the driver."

Shikamaru agreed. "Right. How—" he began to ask her what she planned when she leaped forward, grasping at the driver's bench of the caravan.

He watched her grab what appeared to be nothing but air, pull her arms towards her body in a jerking motion then fall backwards and roll on the ground. He didn't have time to watch any more. He trusted her judgment. Instead, he surged forward.

The driver whipped his horse in an attempt to speed away, but Shikamaru was already beside him wresting the reins from his hands. The driver raised his whip to beat him over the back and head, but Choji had swung up on the other side. He clamped a strong, viselike grip on the man's arm effectively curtailing his attack on Shikamaru.

As the caravan came to a grinding halt, the man suddenly slumped forward putting his face in his hands, no longer attempting any attack or defense. It was then they heard the back of the wagon burst open with a crash, and a scream rend the night. There was something or someone coming out of the back of the wagon.

Meanwhile, the invisible attacker was no longer running away. He'd scrambled to his feet, kicking out at Hinata before she'd found hers. She managed to twist and flip out of his way with his foot merely grazing her shoulder.

"You can see me," he stated not even breathing hard. He'd lost his straw hat, but she still wasn't certain who he was, as he smiled showing large, white fangs.

"Yes." She positioned her hands, and carefully watched his movements. Her primary concern was the paralytic agent accompanying those fangs, not the bite itself.

"How interesting. You're the first I've met who can. I thought there was something strange about your eyes, but it doesn't matter. It won't help you, you know. I'll get you in the end. I always do. I'm too strong for you." He circled around with her matching his movements staying just out of his reach.

"We'll see about that," she said through gritted teeth as she quickly jumped forward then back punching a chakra point on his arm. Her gentle fist technique was her first line of offense.

He laughed barely feeling the blow. "I really shouldn't play with my food, but this is too much fun." He punched back managing to graze her shoulder as she again twisted out of the way. "Not only am I strong—I'm fast, too."

"So am I," she said punching another chakra point.

He laughed again. "Sure, you are."

They parried hits for many minutes exchanging blows or blow attempts. Hinata's hits were more accurate than his were, but his had more brute force behind them. For now she was intent merely to dam his chakra flow. If he relied on chakra for any of his skills that strategy would severely hamper him. He may not even realize how dependent he was on chakra. She hoped to surprise him with his sudden lack. If he continued to be amused and unconcerned at her seemingly trivial blows then she would succeed. However, he had the power and speed to thwart her efforts whenever he wished. She needed to distract him.

"What are you?" she asked in her attempt to keep him off-guard.

He laughed. "I'm every child's nightmare—and every adult's if they only knew."

"I've witnessed a lot of nightmares in my time—which one are you?"

"Your time? Why you're only a child! What do you think I am?"

"A killer who needs to be stopped."

"I try not to kill. I only do it from necessity to throw off suspicion. No one misses the ones I kill."

"I don't believe that."

"It's true. You're angry because of that bright boy. I wouldn't have killed him, but he would have been a long time recovering from what I intended to do to him."

"I don't believe you." She'd punctuated each sentence with a hit to his chakra points. She had almost accomplished her goal.

"It really doesn't matter since I'm afraid you must die." He lunged towards her before he finished his sentence with a blow that glanced off the side of her head making her eyes tear, and her head sting.

Despite her own speed and abilities, Hinata couldn't manage to avoid all his blows. He was as fast as he bragged himself to be. And unfortunately, he was as strong as well. The few of his hits that managed to connect were actually quite painful, some almost knocking her down when they connected. She was kept constantly on her toes. She couldn't just focus on his chakra points; she had to dance around his blows as well. However, she managed to keep damaging them without his seeming awareness. She was fairly certain his invisibility was tied to his chakra, but she couldn't be certain his strength was, too. At some point she would be forced to use other methods to meet his brute strength, but he would lose a certain advantage once he no longer had access to his chakra.

It was quite sudden that he became aware of his gradual return to visibility. He couldn't see himself when invisible either. He'd had years of practice in that state so it no longer mattered what he could and could not see of himself. He was able to rely on his intent to reflect his movements when he couldn't see them.

He abruptly stopped moving. "Hey! What did you do?" he demanded staring down at this hands and arms. They were faintly discernable even in the darkness.

"I stopped the flow of chakra to your kekkai genkai."

"With those little punches?"

"The gentle fist technique. Yes," she told him matter-of-factly.

"Damn!" he growled. "You fooled me. I don't like that. Not one bit."

This time he punched her with a blow that sent her reeling. It seemed he was no longer amused—no longer playing with her. He'd come to the realization that she just might be a threat to his security afterall. He hunched his shoulders in a threatening crouch, and lunged at her again.

Hinata jumped to her feet, twisting away, and readied herself for some serious fighting.

At the same time, Shikamaru had his hands full with another problem.

"Take care of him," Shikamaru told Choji pushing the driver towards him, before he headed to the back of the caravan to check out who or what had been traveling inside. It didn't sound like as easy a problem as the driver had been.

He almost sighed when he found himself confronting a very angry woman. Of course, he'd get the female. Whether friend or foe he was always stuck with the female. And if anyone ever tried to claim that women were easier to deal with than men even in a fight—well, then, they just didn't know a thing about women.

She looked somewhat familiar to him. He tried to place her, and almost had it—until her lips curled back to reveal fangs completely altering her formerly attractive appearance. No female of his acquaintance had long, sharp, menacing incisors like that.

He felt a little thrill of fear race through him accompanied by the awful thought _**vampire**_**.**

He'd been one of the naysayers when the whole vampire concept had been advanced. His mind was too logical to believe in fairytales and folklore. He'd been convinced there had to be a logical explanation for the attacks. Vampires just didn't fit his well-ordered theory of the world. But here he was facing a woman whose appearance gave truth to the folklore. Did she just look the part or was she the real deal? Apparently, he would find out sooner rather than later.

He circled her cautiously. She ignored him looking intently at the fight between Hinata and nobody visible. Was invisibility a vampire trait they'd never heard about? Could one vampire see another? Or was invisibility from another source—such as a kekkai genkai? As he watched her, her eyes seemed to focus solely on Hinata's movements which led him to believe she couldn't see her confederate. When she took a determined step towards Hinata, Shikamaru stepped just as determinedly in her way.

"You deal with me first," he told her.

She lashed out with her arms and hands extended. The nails on her hands were long, pointed, and red. She could do some serious damage with those nails, but could she paralyze with them—or was that the sole function of her saliva?

He didn't care to put that question to the test, so he stayed out of range.

She smiled wickedly. "If you insist, little man, but I think you'll regret your decision."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before. Just get on with it," he said impatiently. It may have been foolhardy to taunt her, but it was so tiresome to listen to their enemies brag. If talk could kill, they'd have a powerful weapon, because they all liked to tell just how great they were.

The smile wiped from her face, and she growled as she began to advance on him. She continually swiped the air between herself and him, trying to make contact. Despite her obvious interest in hurting him, she was moving them directly towards Hinata and her fight. He had to put a stop to that. He wasn't equipped to be in the middle of a fight with someone invisible.

He looked up and around as he jumped out of range.

There was no moon, and therefore no shadow for him to use with his trademark shadow possession jutsu. That was unfortunate. He'd just have to do this with his other ninja skills. Good thing he wasn't a one-trick pony.

He dropped down on one arm, swung out with his body fully extended, and clipped her in the back of her knees knocking her to the ground. He swung out of the way so that she fell forward, and away from him. While she wasn't looking, he performed a substitution jutsu. When she sprang to her feet to attack his substitute, he kicked her from behind sending her flying in the opposite direction of Hinata's fight.

While she was down, he performed another substitution jutsu, but this time he didn't catch her off guard. She swing around reaching wildly, and caught his leg with her slicing claws shredding the material of his pants as well as breaking the skin. He hopped out of her reach.

Mentally, he analyzed the skills he'd witnessed thus far.

She was fast. She recovered quickly. She appeared to be stronger than average. She had the equivalent of ten knives at her fingertips. This fight would be no walk in the park. He was in some real trouble without his special jutsu to fall back on. He watched her carefully while he plotted his next move. He couldn't continue to avoid her or she'd give up and go after Hinata. He couldn't surprise her anymore with substitution jutsus, she attacked everything near her. And she appeared impervious to his attacks. So what was left?

Hinata was too intent on her own match to be more than peripherally aware of another in the vicinity. She couldn't spare any attention to the others. She had her hands full with a strong, angry man no longer able to use his chakra, but nonetheless still an ugly threat. She could not match him strength for strength. She had no choice but to engage her other Hyuga skill. Would it work on him?

She began her shugo hake rokujuu yon shou as soon as she recovered her feet. She spun and struck her opponent more quickly than he could handle. Her blows landed hard and swift on his torso, legs and arms. He couldn't back up far enough away to avoid her, he could no longer land a blow, and he couldn't move as fast as she could in the spell of her jutsu. Eventually, he simply crouched into a ball as tight as he could to protect himself. His back collected most of her hits so she couldn't tell what impact she was having. She simply kept pounding with her speed and strength.

Finally, she completed the course of her jutsu dance, stepped back and watched to see the effect.

He unfurled slowly into a standing crouch. He didn't move as smoothly as before so she must have done some damage, but that didn't stop him. His hands clenched into fists, and he roared as he came at her.

Shikamaru heard nothing through the frustrated screams of the vixen he was fighting.

Her anger made her movements heavier, but faster. He used his chakra to climb the trees, and use substitutes to surprise her from different angles. It worked up to a point. Unfortunately, half the time her nails managed to connect slicing through his clothes and sometimes skin. His protective vest was in shreds. One arm and one leg were bleeding profusely where she'd caught him. Forced to avoid her fangs the quality of his attacks had been limited. Without his shadow possession jutsu, he had more difficulty avoiding close combat, and subduing her. She might not have possessed any finesse in her fighting style, but she didn't appear to suffer from that lack. None of his blows had slowed her for long; she'd gotten up, striking out from every blow. If he tried to stay out of range, she'd turn and head towards Hinata. He'd had no choice, but get closer than was wise in order to keep her fighting him.

If this fight came down to just stamina—did he have enough to last her out? He really wasn't confident in the answer to that. The thought left him undecided what his next move should be. He didn't like not having a logical answer to his dilemma. He'd always been the man with the plan, but right now he couldn't seem to think of one that would get him out of this.

He bit his lip showing his first sign of anxiety.

What could he do to stop this creature?


	35. We have met the enemy and

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXXV. We have met the enemy and—

"Take care of him," Shikamaru told Choji pushing the driver towards him.

Choji eyed the slumped driver cautiously. He didn't seem much of a threat anymore—in fact, he'd never seemed much of a threat even when he tried to use his whip on Shikamaru. What did Shikamaru actually mean by _take care of him_? There didn't seem to be much to take care of. He guessed his job was to make sure the guy remained a non-threat.

He heard the noises of fighting in the background—punches, grunts, threatening talk—the usual. They probably didn't need his help yet or at all which suited him. He'd undoubtedly suffered the most from the hours of running they'd had to endure to catch up to these guys. He needed his bulk to handle his special ninjutsu abilities if they proved necessary, but that did hamper him in certain physical activities—_like running for hours and hours and hours nonstop_. However, he'd probably be able to last longest if they hit a situation where lack of food for an extended period of time was a necessity. He had enough calories stored to see him through a week at least—technically. But no way would he ever want to go that long without a bite to eat. That would be the ultimate torture.

He turned his attention back to his—he wasn't certain what to call him—prisoner or charge maybe, but opponent didn't seem to fit since the guy didn't look like there was any fight in him. However since that was still an option, he had to check it out,

"Are you going to fight me?" he asked conversationally.

The man shook his head, and uttered a single low syllable, "No." That seemed pretty definite unless, of course, he was lying.

"That's good to know, but I'm still gonna afta make sure of that."

"How?"

"Good question."

Choji looked around. The sky hadn't begun to lighten yet so there wasn't much to see. The whip he still held in his hand appeared to be the best response to that good question. He held it up. "Put your hands behind your back," he suggested rather than ordered. He had the power to make it so, but it didn't seem necessary to throw his weight around with this guy.

The man slowly did as he was told. Despite his question, he didn't appear to be very interested in his fate. That could be a good thing—or he had might have something up his sleeve that Choji couldn't see or anticipate in the dark. For now, he decided to believe that this man was more a victim than a true confederate of the vampire since he wasn't putting up much of a fight. If he was wrong, he'd find out soon enough.

Choji took the tail of the whip, and used it to securely tie the man's hands together. When he was finished he tested his handiwork to be certain the man couldn't easily loosen his bonds. They held, of course. He'd always been good at knots so he was fairly certain in the security of anything he tied. "That should hold you until we're finished with your friends," he told him confidently.

The man shook his head. "You won't be able to stop them. No one can."

Choji looked at him in surprise and some disgust. What a defeatist attitude! Konoha ninja were made of sterner stuff. They didn't say die until—well—never. But how was some strange vampire to know that until he faced Konoha's finest. "Is that so? You might be surprised. Has he ever fought ninja before?"

"Yes," he said simply.

Despite that bald, positive response, Choji still felt confident in making his point. "Yeah, well, he's never fought Konoha ninja before. We're the best."

"Have you ever fought vampires before?" the man asked in turn.

Choji scratched his head. "Ah—well—no, but we've fought some pretty nasty ninja in our day. You wouldn't believe some of the ninjutsu abilities out there. I could tell you some tales that would curl your hair. There are worse things than vampires."

The man shook his head vehemently. This was the most animated he'd been since Choji had taken away his whip. "There's nothing worse. You have no idea. There's nothing to compare. Vampires have a stamina and strength that humans could never approximate. Ninja are only human. They get tired. They exhaust their chakra. Their bones break. Their muscles tear. They lose blood. Not vampires. They never need sleep or rest. They don't breathe. Chakra doesn't feed their power. Their bones are as hard as metal. They no longer have a beating heart or blood in their veins. Nothing can stop them—nothing human."

"What about sunlight?"

He gave a sharp laugh. "_Fairytales!_ _Nothing but fairytales!_ Don't count on them to save you. You'll never see a vampire with a tan, but you won't see one with a sunburn either. The light of day won't spare you."

"We'll see about that. Something must kill them or they'd overrun the place." Choji felt a little shaken that one of the stories about vampires he relied on could be a lie. What else did he know from the old tales that was actually untrue or true for that matter? If sunlight didn't kill them—what could? How would they vanquish this particular foe? Was Hinata making any headway? And what was Shikamaru fighting? He'd soon find out.

He hopped down from the driver's seat, and unhitched the horse. Just because the driver was tied up didn't mean he couldn't somehow get the horse to take off with him and the caravan. Until they determined his culpability, the guy wasn't going anywhere. Choji took the further precaution of hobbling the horse by tying his bridle to a tree branch. That should keep the driver from getting too far away even if he got down safely from the caravan without freed hands. He could still walk away, but where would he go for help?

Now Choji needed to check on his team mates.

He made his way around the caravan discovering Shikamaru and his opponent first.

Surprise, surprise. Shikamaru fought a woman. That would have been funny, if the woman didn't have long, sharp fangs, and sharp, blood-red nails. The red was too uniform to have been stained from Shikamaru's blood, but his longtime friend no longer looked in pristine condition. Part of his clothing was shredded, and the dark stains in the gaps had to be blood. The woman looked untouched except for dark patches on her kimono that looked more like dirt than blood. This fight didn't look good for Shikamaru. Of course, he could still be in the early stages of some long, involved, strategy. With Shikamaru that was always a real possibility. For now he'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

He turned around to see how Hinata was faring.

She wasn't shredded or bleeding like Shikamaru, but even as he watched she was thrown into a tree trunk. That had to hurt. He'd expected to see her fighting nothing but air to his eyes, but the guy was visible now—and it wasn't encouraging. He was big with serious looking fangs. Even when Hinata managed a well-placed hit, it hardly seemed to faze him whereas she was being tossed around like so much flotsam. He laughed and taunted her as if he was amused by her attempts to harm him. This fight didn't look as if it was ending any time soon either. He wondered if she'd already been through the gamut of her impressive ninjutsu skills or was she strategically holding something back. Watching her get slammed again, he certainly hoped so, but he felt it was time he got involved. He couldn't just stand around watching his team mates take a beating.

He needed to do something to swing things in their favor. But what?

He looked back and forth studying their opponents. They were strong, tough, and deadly in close combat. However, he couldn't help thinking again—if vampires were virtually undefeatable wouldn't they have had to battle the breed before now? Wouldn't vampires being taking over villages everywhere? They had to have limits to their abilities. There must be some way to defeat them. He just had to think of it.

Maybe all the stories about vampires weren't just stories. Even if that sunlight burning up a vampire thing had been wrong, maybe some of the other threats to vampires were true. All he could do was give something apocryphal a try. It couldn't hurt anyone but the vampires—he hoped.

He looked around on the ground, and gathered a few sturdy branches. He took out a kunai blade, and began shaving the end of one branch into a point. According to the stories a stake through the heart would kill a vampire—or at least keep him down as long as the stake remained in his heart. The sharp branch he prepared would be an ideal weapon against a vampire if the stories told true. And even if they weren't true, a branch through the heart had to hurt—even a vampire. That of itself would make the deed worthwhile.

Once he had several branches prepared, he decided to take out Hinata's opponent first. Maybe it was chivalry that led to his choice, but he found her beating harder to take than Shikamaru's. She looked so much smaller than her opponent. He knew she was a strong, talented kunoichi, but she looked fragile compared to that big vampire. If the stake thing didn't work, he'd take over the fight while she recuperated a little now that the guy was visible. He thought Shikamaru would agree with his choice, but of course, he couldn't stop him to ask. He was on his own in this one.

He used his special abilities to enlarge himself—not incredibly big—he didn't want to break his nicely prepared branches with his own brute strength. He enlarged himself just enough to maybe intimidate the guy with his much bigger size.

He kept himself behind and out of sight of the guy fighting Hinata to keep surprise as another weapon, and waited for the right moment to strike. He didn't want the guy to step aside just as he was ready to hit. As he waited, he suddenly had a panicky moment as he realized he wasn't exactly sure where the heart was located. Anatomy had never been his strong suit.

He felt the right side of his chest then the left then the right then the left again, and calmed down when he finally felt his heart beat. Left side, beating strongly. Good. Okay, he was ready.

He took one of his sharpened sticks in his fist, moved up closely behind the guy, jumped on his back, knocking him down, aimed, and with the huge force behind his huge shape, he shoved the stake into the guy's back.

It went in easier then he thought it would. The guy wasn't wearing any kind of protective gear—just a regular shirt and pants. He felt the stake hit then scrape past a rib, but with his force behind the stake it didn't get stuck, and it didn't break too soon.

It pierced completely through the guy. He didn't even seem aware of what was really happening. He started an attempt to buck Choji off his back, when he suddenly grabbed his chest, began to cry out, then simply went limp.

Choji straddled his back keeping the guy penned down, and expecting failure—his attack was based on fairy tales after all—but the guy lay dead—that is—deader than he had been. _It had worked! It had actually worked!_

He looked up at Hinata with a triumphant grin on his face. He'd actually started to relax a little relishing his moment of victory when he heard a scream from behind him. Before he could turn, something slammed into his own back, two points grinding into his flesh, and he felt sharp, claws stabbing into his neck pulling his head back.

That she vampire was attacking him with a maddened frenzy. He started to stand to try and throw her off when he heard Shikamaru yell, "_Stay still, Choji!"_ He obeyed his team leader, but he could feel every slice of her nails cutting him like ten small knives, and he began to feel dizzy as the blood spurted from his neck redirected from his head. Before he could completely pass out, he felt her fall abruptly off him. He rolled off the he vampire, shrank down to his usual size, and clutched his neck.

Shikamaru had taken one of the remaining stakes Choji had sharpened, and rammed it into the she vampire's back just behind her heart. She lay as still and white as her vampire partner, and just as dead as she should be. He was relieved that something he'd thought of had actually worked. Hurrah, for all those scary tales his dad had told him for bedtime stories despite his mom's objections.

Hinata ran over to him, squatted down beside him, gently moved his hands aside, and placed her own hands over his neck wounds. He could feel the warmth of chakra healing over his wounds. "Where did you learn that, Hinata? You haven't studied medical techniques—have you?"

"I studied a little. I can heal basic wounds. Lady Tsunade thought medical training combined with my Byakugan would be useful in the field. I have been thinking of switching to the medical side if Lady Tsunade decides I show enough promise. How does it feel now?"

"Much better. Thanks." It still hurt like hell, but he no longer felt the urge to pass out with the blood was flowing back to his brain again.

"Your neck's not completely healed, but it shouldn't bleed anymore."

"It feels a helluva lot better." She must have numbed the area a little while she healed because it was starting to feel less brutalized. "Hey, maybe you should try your healing techniques on Shikamaru. He' got a lot of wounds, too," Choji felt a little guilty. He'd only acquired his wounds in the last few minutes. Shikamaru must have been suffering for some time.

Shikamaru shrugged away her ministrations. "Save your chakra, Hinata. I'm okay. None of these scratches are very deep. I only let her get close enough to stay interested in me. Good job with the stakes, Choji. I thought we'd just have to hang on until the sunrise."

"That other guy told me sunlight didn't affect them like the stories said, so I had to think of something else. Besides you've got at least another hour until sunrise. Could you really have kept up the pace without them getting close enough to bite?"

"That was the plan. Say, where is that other guy? Wasn't he a vampire, too?"

They looked around. The caravan stood unmoving. The horse was still tied to the branch grazing on the grass beneath. But the driver wasn't tied up on the front bench where Choji had left him.

"I tied him up. He didn't even try to fight. He said he wasn't a vampire." Choji felt angry that his small trust in the guy's innocence had been misplaced.

"He couldn't have gone far," Shikamaru said. "We can track him down later. Let's get these two into the caravan."

"Unh? Aren't we just going to bury them or burn them or something—that's what the stories say to do to really kill a vampire?" Choji asked looking at the two fallen vampires with distaste. He didn't really want to travel with them all the way back to Konoha.

"Yeah, I think I remember that. Cut off their head, bury them apart or burn them and scatter the ashes. But the Hokage should see them first. She might want to study them before we dispose of the bodies. Who knows—there may be other vampires out there? We need to find out about that invisibility ability, too."

"It's a kekkai genkai," a voice nearby said. Suddenly the driver appeared standing between them.

Shikamaru was the only one to not noticeably start. "So, you have that kekkai genkai, too?" He studied the man. He looked familiar unlike the vampires. The two at his feet no longer bore any resemblance to humans. Their faces were contorted in pain and ugliness. He looked back at the man with his hands still tied behind his back looking pale, and wan, and old with his white hair and careworn face. "I've seen you before. Are you related to these vampires?"

"To one of them. I'm Leiko Iseki, manager of the Iseki Acting Troupe. You may know the vampires as my brother, the Amazing Iwao, and the woman as Lady Chiyoko Maeda."

"The Amazing Iseki? That's your brother?" Choji demanded giving the male corpse another look. Not that he'd ever seen the guy's face. He'd worn a mask in his act. He'd been dressed all in black. He'd looked cool, and so had his act. Too bad.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Hinata was the only one of the group who had seen him without his mask during the interview she and Naruto had had with them. She'd known him as soon as he'd shed the straw hat—even with the fangs and arrogant stretch of his lips into the semblance of a smile. It had saddened her that such a talented individual was the evil one that they sought. But she hadn't let that prevent her from using every weapon in her arsenal to stop him.

"You really aren't a vampire, _are you_?" Choji asked suspiciously.

"No. I was spared that curse. I'm actually Iwao's younger brother even though I look twenty years older," he said bitterly.

"Did you help him with the killings?"

He hesitated, and then continued in a strained voice. "I didn't actively help him, but I knew what he could and would do. I know that makes me as guilty as he was. I tried to mitigate the damage he could do. I made him promise not to hurt a child or a woman. I made him promise to keep his killings to a minimum. I made him promise," he laughed bitterly. "He only did as I asked so I'd continue to help him. If he didn't require someone to take care of his needs and that of his sire, he would have killed me, too. He threatened to often enough. And he fed on me regularly to keep me weak and under his thumb."

"His sire?" Shikamaru questioned a term he didn't recognize.

"The one he called his wife. She was the vampire who turned him. She called herself his sire. He tried siring himself, but Chiyoko would get jealous and kill his new vampires. So there were only the two of them with the troupe."

"When was he turned?"

"Nineteen years ago. We were both ninja in the Land of Lightning. We were still genin at 17 and 15. Our only true skill was our kekkai genkai. His inhuman strength came from his curse. But he couldn't continue as a ninja once he was turned. He stopped using any ninja skills he'd acquired. He forced me to join the two of them on the road so they could avoid detection that was certain to occur if they stayed too long in any one place. We pooled our money, and started the acting troupe. He was a natural. She had an amazing singing voice. I became the manager to control the rest of the troupe's access to these two main stars. He would roam the towns and villages where we performed to feed. She would feed on him. As long as he was careful, he could sustain them both without killing. The older he became the more control he had over his curse, and his need to kill."

"Why did he kill one of your own troupe?"

"He did that to throw off suspicion. He said the runaways we took in would never be missed. He called them throw aways—disposable people. We always took on a few for his use if necessary." As he told his story, his initial bitterness and self-disgust withered into a dull, deadened expression as if he were divorcing himself from his horrible past, inescapable present, and doomed future.

"How many deaths is he responsible for?

His shoulders slumped. "Hundreds. Everywhere. I lost track a long time ago. Or maybe I just stopped paying attention so I wouldn't have to know. It was too horrible to contemplate."

"Did you lie to me about sunlight affecting vampires?" Choji demanded. He wasn't as accepting that this guy was just another victim as he had been before he entered the fray. Now that he heard the story, he couldn't imagine just going along with these killings for twenty years. The guy had been a ninja, _damn it!_ Did he just forget all his ninja principles? Did he forget that he was supposed to help the innocent not prey on them?

"Yes and no. Sunlight doesn't kill them, but they don't like it. The light is too bright for their eyes, and it weakens them. But I've seen him overcome the effects when necessary. You could not have waited for sunlight. He and she would have worn you down, bitten and killed you before the sun came up. Their saliva paralyzes their victims. The effect is almost immediate once the skin is punctured. No one has ever been able to withstand their attack for long."

"So why did he run away if he's so damned strong?" Choji demanded.

"A force of skilled ninja could have subdued him. There's power and strength in numbers. He'd had many successful years at keeping a low profile. His mistake was in thinking his invisibility was the perfect protection. He didn't anticipate anyone possessing the ability to see him. You could see him," he suddenly turned to Hinata. "Is that a kekkai genkai, too?"

"Yes. Very little can hide from my Byakugan," Hinata told him. "Your kekkai genkai is not proof against it."

He nodded. "My brother's arrogance was his downfall. I am happy this horrible existence is finally at an end."

With most of his curiosity satisfied, Shikamaru motioned for Choji to help him put the bodies into the back of the caravan. It would be sunrise soon. They'd be better able to find their way back to Konoha once the sun was up.

"Iseki and I will ride in the back. Choji, you drive. Hinata, you sit up front with him. If I start to go stir crazy I'll rap on the wall behind you. One of you can switch with me."

"There's a shuttered window behind the driver's bench that gives you access to the inside of the caravan," Iseki volunteered.

"Good. Why don't we keep it open so we have immediate access to one another?" Shikamaru suggested. Leiko Iseki had been cooperative so far plus he was still tied up, but that didn't mean the man had been completely honest about his part in the vampire attacks or his abilities. He hadn't fancied being shut up in the back of the caravan with two vampires who could conceivably be reanimated by removing their stakes, and a man who might deem his future more promising even under vampire control then under arrest in Konoha.

"Let's go, team. I'm tired and hungry. Even with a ride we're several hours from home."

"Yeah, hungry. I second that," Choji agreed. He was starving. Next time he'd pack more snacks even for guard duty. He'd only needed one kunai blade. He could leave the others behind to make more room—and the shirukens. He hadn't needed those either. A bag of chips would have been a lot more valuable. "Yeah, let's go," he urged and hurriedly hitched the horse back to the wagon.

In no time they were on their way.

* * *

They were on the road almost two hours when they were met by a rescue team from Konoha.

Kiba with Akamaru took point with Sakura in the middle then Naruto bringing up the rear.

"Hinata!" Naruto called running towards the caravan. He was incredibly relieved to see her sitting quietly beside Choji. He'd done nothing but worry once the effects of that vampire's poison in his blood stream had worn off. He should be rescuing her not the other way around.

Choji brought the horse to a halt in time for Hinata to jump from the bench to meet Naruto halfway.

"Naruto! You're alright!" She hugged him tightly, but winced as she felt every bruise inflicted on her by the vampire Iwao. He'd thrown her often enough to have done some major damage, but she'd used chakra whenever possible to cushion the impact. Thankfully, she'd managed to survive the fight without any cuts, lacerations or broken bones. But she wouldn't be surprised if her entire body were purple before the day was through.

"Of course, I'm alright. Nothing can keep me down for long. Why are you making that face? What happened? Are you hurt?" he asked in concern. He'd seen that expression on her face before. He didn't like it. It made him feel anxious. He held her gently away from him.

"Just a little bruised. That's all. Shikamaru and Choji were hurt worse than me," she assured him, and felt warm all over by his concern.

"Does anyone here require medical attention?" Sakura asked. That was why she insisted on coming along. Since their enemy had been able to incapacitate Naruto who was virtually indestructible with the fast acting healing properties of the nine-tailed fox, she'd deemed her presence essential. The others hadn't that advantage, and would undoubtedly require her expert medical services.

"Nope. Hinata took care of me," Choji told her cheerfully. He'd been teamed with Hinata often enough now to feel some team mate pride in her abilities.

"I'd heard Lady Tsuande had begun to train you, Hinata. Good work," Sakura said coolly. She'd never looked upon Hinata as a rival in the past, but found several reasons to do so now. First there was her unexpected relationship with Sakura's long time team mate, Naruto who'd worshipped Sakura unrequitedly for years, and now she was training successfully in Sakura's own field of medical arts—well, Sakura was feeling just the tiniest bit threatened. She didn't have a kekkai genkai to enhance her abilities. She'd had to work hard for her position. She didn't have the advantage of being a member of a Konoha elite family. Her family didn't have a ninja legacy. She'd earned everything she had. It shouldn't surprise anyone that she felt a twinge of jealousy. It had just never occurred to her that timid, little, Hinata Hyuuga would inspire it.

"What happened? Was he a vampire? How'd he do it?" Naruto demanded. He put his arm gently around Hinata and led her back to the caravan.

"We'll give you the whole report at the same time we do the Hokage," Shikamaru said. He'd jumped out of the caravan when he'd heard the commotion bringing Iseki with him. He didn't trust him alone with his previous confederates. He directed Iseki to stand near the front of the caravan while he talked to the others. "We've got two virtually dead vampires in the back of this rig, and one human prisoner."

Naruto looked curiously at Iseki, but didn't immediately recognize him. "You mean they really were vampires?"

"Based on the bloodless wound inflicted by a stake in the heart, I'd say they fit the description."

"Is it true they could turn invisible? Is that how they snuck up on Akamaru?" Kiba demanded. That would certainly explain how Akamaru was caught off guard. Only something completely unusual could have done that.

"That's right. One of them had a kekkai genkai for invisibility. That's what made him so hard to detect."

"Who were they?" Sakura asked.

"Did you see the performance of the Iseki Theater Troupe?" Once everyone nodded, Shikamaru continued. "The Amazing Iwao, was the vampire with the kekkai genkai. He's the one responsible for all the attacks. His wife, Lady Chiyoko Maeda was also a vampire, but she allowed him to do all the work to feed them. Then she'd feed off him."

"Ewww! Gross!" Naruto said in disgust. "Too bad. I thought their acts were really good. What about the brother, Leiko? Is that him?" Naruto jabbed his thumb in Iseki's direction. Now that he knew who the guy was, he did look familiar.

"Yeah. At worse, he's an accomplice—at best he was as much a victim as anyone. That's up to the Hokage to decide. Come on. Let's head back. You can hear the whole story from Iseki once we're back in Konoha. I'm tired and sore. I just want to go home."

"You look terrible, Shikamaru. Are you sure you can't use some medical treatment?" Sakura asked looking over his shredded, bloody outfit. "I'm sure Hinata's limited training couldn't deal with everything."

He shrugged, and winced. "Maybe I could use a little. You want to ride back inside the caravan with me? You can have a look at the vampires on the way back to the village."

"I'd like to see them. They offer interesting research possibilities," she agreed, and followed him into the back of the caravan.

"Since everything's under control here, I'll go on ahead to let the Fifth know what's going on," Kiba said, then he and Akamaru took off.

"You riding with me?" Choji asked Hinata as he gathered up the reins in preparation to start the horse walking again.

She hesitated, looking at Naruto.

"You ride with Choji. I'll walk beside you," he insisted. "You can tell me all about your capture of the vampires. I hope you kicked their asses."

She smiled. "I certainly tried to." She climbed up beside Choji.

He jiggled the reins to alert the horse who moved forward again at his own easy pace.

"She was awesome, Naruto. She fought the he vampire since she was the only one who could see him at first. Shikamaru got the she vampire. He always fights the girls. He hates that." He grinned. Now he could laugh about it.

"Choji was the one who saved the day," Hinata insisted. "Shikamaru and I were just keeping them busy. They were incredibly strong. We couldn't use close combat because of the paralyzing effects of their saliva. If Choji hadn't thought of stabbing them in the heart with wooden stakes, I don't know what we would have done."

"That old story about wooden stakes actually worked?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Like a charm. I guess there's some truth in those old tales after all."

Naruto grimaced. "That's not a very pleasant thought. Do you remember all the monsters in those old stories? What if they're all real?"

Choji gave a fake shudder. "You've got a point there. Let's hope they're only 10% accurate. I sure wouldn't want to tangle with werewolves or trolls next."

"Me either."

Hinata agreed with that, too. She'd just met her worst nightmare, and she'd survived, but that didn't mean she wanted to meet anymore nightmares. Not in this lifetime.


	36. Happy birthday, Naruto

The courtship of Naruto Uzumaki

XXX VI. Happy Birthday, Naruto

"What do you think of his story, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked after Leiko Iseki had been taken to a cell in the basement of the ninja complex by Naruto and Kiba following a retelling of his story, and a lengthy question and answer session. She sat comfortably behind her desk while Shikamaru, Sakura, Hinata and Choji stood before her to analyze the interview.

Of all her shinobi—even the older ones—Shikamaru was the best at analysis. He tended to treat every situation as a puzzle that required a solution. He wasn't always right, but he always had valuable insight.

"I think that whatever his reasons for helping his brother in the beginning what he told us today is what he now believes is the truth," he responded carefully after some consideration. Sometimes he cursed having a brain. How could he ever be just an average shinobi when he couldn't make his thought processes average? And unfortunately, Asuma, his first team leader had clued Tsunade in on the way he worked—or tried not to—when she'd first become Hokage so he couldn't get away with just getting by any more. If he didn't have something to say she was all over him—reminding him way too much of his mom. Women! Why was he always surrounded by aggressive, domineering women? Why could they never just leave him alone?

"That's no answer. Is he lying or not? Couldn't he be acting?" Sakura asked in exasperation. Shikamaru had an annoying way of sounding deep when he really said nothing. She preferred concrete, indisputable facts. She was much better with facts than with speculation. She could memorize facts. She was always good at memorizing information. Stringing the facts together into some logical sequence was not always her forte.

"That's always a possibility, but I've listened to the complete story twice now. If you remember— seeing that you were a witness—I also questioned him informally on the way back to Konoha. I heard nothing contradictory during that time, but we were in a darkened caravan—I couldn't study his mannerisms as well then. I was able to observe Iseki more closely through the second telling of his story."

"What could you learn hearing it twice?" Sakura didn't have the benefit of hearing Iseki's tale twice nor had she paid close attention on the way back to Konoha. She'd been too enthralled by the vampires. They'd been grotesque in their apparent _death_. They'd reached rigor almost instantly once staked. She definitely wanted to be involved in their study. She only wished Shizune were back from her mission to share in this fascinating examination.

"Actually, quite a bit. Iseki didn't tell his story in exactly the same way using exactly the same words the second time as if it was practiced and memorized. He didn't avoid answering direct questions or answering questions with questions. He didn't exhibit any physical signs of lying like looking up in the air to the left, making eye contact too infrequently, showing little facial expression, frequently touching his face or holding his arms and legs close to his body protectively."

"Not everyone exhibits textbook signs of lying. Really, Shikamaru, isn't acting his job? Wouldn't he be versed in those telltale signs? What's makes you so certain is wasn't just acting?" Sakura challenged although she was actually impressed by his observational skills. She still found it hard to believe that the lazy, napping, goof-off she'd gone to school with had actually been the smartest kid in class. She'd always thought that she and Sasuke were the smartest ones—they'd gotten the highest marks on every test. It was very irritating to hear Shikamaru figure things out so effortlessly when she often found analysis a struggle.

He shrugged. "I don't believe he's talented enough to fool me. He demonstrates all the signs of someone held hostage who through self-preservation develops a dependent relationship with his captor. That this relationship was based on a real and close previous relationship only made it more difficult for him to break away. He was tied by bonds of blood—in more ways than one," he explained with exaggerated patience. It was tiresome to always have to explain everything. Why was he the only one to_ get_ stuff?

"How does Chiyoko Maeda fit into the equation? He seemed to have no tangible ties to her. He didn't even try to protect her, did he?"

"Again, I'm just speculating, but I believe as Iwao Iseki's sire, she was technically the dominant vampire. She was older and more experienced, however she depended on him to take care of her. In turn, Leiko Iseki took care of them both although, I don't think Leiko felt any real ties to her. He feared her with good reason since she could kill him at any time. That fear came across with the dislike and distaste he exhibited when he spoke of her. That makes me think that the ties between the two brothers had remained closer than victim and predator otherwise the she vampire would have had a greater hold on Leiko Iseki. His feelings would have been closer to stark hatred rather than merely dislike if she had been an active threat to him. His brother must have become a buffer between the two possibly for familial reasons. Maybe under further questioning Iseki would be able to understand this for himself—or not." He shrugged. "I don't think the reasons are important for our purposes. We can decide his guilt or innocence based on his actions not on his feelings."

"That may well be, however, it would be nice to understand as much as possible about vampires and the thrall they can hold on their victims. Chances are this is not an isolated phenomenon. We may have to deal with them again in the future. I'd like to be better prepared in that eventuality," Tsunade spoke before Sakura could object again to Shikamaru's conclusions. Ordinarily, she welcomed this sort of discussion because it brought out valuable ideas, but everyone was exhausted from their long night. She could see Choji and Hinata visibly drooping as they tried to remain alert while offering nothing substantive to the discussion. Even Shikamaru and Sakura were showing signs of fatigue. They were all still young, and usually full of energy, but not as used to pacing themselves as they would be with a few more years experience. Even at eighteen, as all of them were, they had not reached their full potential as ninja. Their best years were still ahead of them.

"I hope waking the vampires won't be necessary to answer all your questions. Besides their superior strength, they're very cunning and ruthless. I don't know if we can contain active vampires even with the best security of our prison," Shikamaru cautioned. He never wanted to have to fight those creatures again—not in this lifetime. He still couldn't quite believe how calm he'd remained fighting a childhood horror story. Being eaten by someone once human seemed more horrifying than being eaten by an animal. He didn't know why. It must be a visceral thing. Now that he knew how to kill them, taking one down would be easier, but still difficult without help. If he'd made one false move in his fight with that she vampire, and she'd gotten her fangs into him, he would have been a goner.

"No, I don't want to wake them, but I do intend to run some experiments before we burn their bodies past redemption. I certainly don't want any chance of them coming back to full strength. I, also, want to perform a thorough examination on Leiko Iseki, too. I'll be damned sure he's human before I let him go."

"You're going to release him?" Sakura asked with a frown. "Shouldn't he bear some responsibility since he knew of the attacks, but didn't stop them?"

"He was technically a hostage to the vampires, Sakura. I think they just sucked away his self-esteem, his will, and his hope. He was no more responsible than a child," Shikamaru defended if only on principle. He'd like to win one fight—any fight—against a female this day. He didn't count his fight with the she vampire as a win for himself. If Choji hadn't shown him the way, he would have fought until dawn thinking that to be her weakness, and probably have been taken down himself. Sakura would be a worthy opponent to best if only with words.

"What do you think, Lady Tsunade?" Sakura tried bringing in the big guns.

She rested her chin on her folded hands. "If Shikamaru's convinced Iseki had no personal hand in the attacks or killings then I'm inclined to consider him a victim. Of course, we'll question him more thoroughly to be certain. I have a new medic who specializes in mental disorders. He'd be interested in studying Iseki to find out the effects of living so long in the company of vampires. He likes unusual cases. If Iseki passes all our examinations—mental and physical, I see no reason to forcing him into the prison system. One could make the claim that he's been a prisoner for 19 years already. I think that punishment enough under the circumstances."

"What about the other members of the acting troupe?" Sakura asked moving on quickly since she'd lost that skirmish.

"Once we're fully staffed again, I'd like to send someone to seek them out, and question them. I'd like to be certain there are no other vampires in that troupe. Perhaps when we release Iseki we can escort him to a reunion with his troupe."

"That could be months from now."

She waved her hand airily. "I'm well aware of that. He can send a message to his troupe. We'll keep him busy here until we can spare someone to accompany him. That's just another price he'll have to pay for his unfortunate circumstances. If he really feels the guilt he seems to then that will be a small price to pay."

Naruto and Kiba burst into the room as she stopped speaking.

"What did we miss?" Naruto demanded panting. He'd run all the back from the detention area with Kiba at his heels not wanting to be left out of anything. He'd already missed too much of the excitement when that stupid vampire had paralyzed him.

Akamaru had stayed in the lobby. He tended to knock things over, break things, and damage doors and door frames in the narrow corridors and rooms of the ninja complex. It had been suggested quite forcefully on more than one occasion that he remain downstairs.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Naruto," Sakura told him. She considered his abrupt entrance into the room an unconscionable breach of protocol—but so like Naruto.

"Well? Is he guilty? What do you think, Shikamaru?" He didn't acknowledge her comment since he didn't want to waste time with an argument, but went straight to the source for answers.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Sakura asked before Shikamaru could answer. She didn't like being ignored. He never used to do that. She gave Hinata a quick frown blaming her for Naruto's inattention. Unfortunately, she wasn't paying any attention to Sakura either.

Naruto had no problem giving his opinion. "I feel sorry for him. I don't think he had anything to do with the killings. I think he just helped his brother when he had to," Naruto said without hesitation.

Choji laughed. "That's pretty much what Shikamaru said, but with a lot more words. What do you think about that, Shikamaru?"

He laughed in response. _Naruto._ That guy's gut could challenge Shikamaru's brain any day. "Naruto's smarter than he looks," he drawled.

"Hey—" Naruto protested. He didn't get very far in his complaint once everyone else started laughing, too. That sort of thing used to make him mad, but now that he was older he could take a little teasing without blowing his top. Besides, he had Hinata on his side now. She never laughed at his expense. Even now, she just took his hand, squeezed it, and smiled sweetly into his eyes. He felt so pleased with her that he just laughed along with the others, and allowed Tsunade to shoo him with everyone else out of her office with exhortations to get some rest so they'd be ready for their next shifts on patrol and guard duty.

Surprisingly, they all shuffled along without comment. It was a very good day when her shinobi followed orders without question, protest or attitude. Now that her village wasn't being threatened by an unknown assailant, she could do with some rest herself. But she wouldn't allow herself to completely relax until all her shinobi were once again under her care.

That was her nindo way.

* * *

The little house smelled _sooo_ good.

Hinata had been baking from daybreak to have everything fresh and ready for the afternoon's festivities.

First she'd made a kasutera cake with whipped cream and fresh fruit between layers. She wished it could have been strawberries. Naruto liked strawberries, but they were no longer in season. She'd had to resort to raspberries, blackberries and plums to flavor her cake. Then she'd baked small daifuku cakes with chocolate filling. Last she'd made mizu-yokan, dorayaki, and anmitsu to offer a variety of sweets to the party attendees. She'd wanted something sweet to tempt every palette.

She'd planned the event for after lunchtime hoping everyone would realize to save their dessert for the party. She'd wanted a purely fun, frivolous, informal birthday party for Naruto. She didn't want him to have a party like the ones she'd had growing up. Her birthday parties had always been formal, family affairs, long, boring and ceremonial. As the Hyuga family heir, she'd always been reminded of her dignity and exalted status from the lesser branches of the family. She'd always hated it, never feeling worthy, and was glad that her father had transferred his interests to her younger sister. She was much happier now than she'd ever been growing up under her father's censorious thumb. Her confidence had only increased once she'd given up pleasing his impossible standards.

She was so thankful they'd solved the mystery of the vampire attacks. It would have been difficult to relax enough for a celebration, and now most of Naruto's friends still in the village could come to his party without shirking some vital duty. This was the first party she'd ever planned, and she wanted it to be perfect. She wanted it to be the best birthday party Naruto ever had.

Naruto had been disappointed when she'd told him she couldn't see him that day. His disappointment had given her a little thrill besides a little feeling of guilt. The guilt would be explained away once he showed up at the ninja complex, and found his surprise party. The thrill would be with her for a long time. She still couldn't quite believe that she and Naruto were a couple. How many people could claim that their dreams had actually come true? She never in her wildest dreams thought this day would ever come.

Lady Tsunade had played a great part in making this celebration come true. She'd helped Hinata organize staff to help her, and a place for the party. When Lady Tsunade asked no one could refuse.

Shino was manning the front gate during the party. He'd told her that he wasn't much for parties when she'd sought out someone for that duty. He had no problem filling in if she needed him. Her first thought had been Neiji, but she still didn't feel comfortable asking him. She knew he no longer felt as angry towards the main branch of the family as he'd done when younger, but she still didn't feel she'd won his respect. She always fancied a sneer just twitching on the corner of his mouth whenever he looked at her. He was more powerful than she was, and would probably always be so, not only because he was male while she was female, but more so because he'd developed his abilities on his own while she'd been given every guidance and instruction available. He was more driven, and more gifted than she in the family skills. If they had to fight today, she would hope to give him a tougher bout then their one meeting during their first chûnin exam, but still he would undoubtedly win. It was a lowering thought, but she was thankful there was no reason for her to fight him to prove it.

Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru were coming to help her carry everything to the ninja complex. Sakura, Ino and Tenten had agreed to help her set up for the party. Lady Tsunade was keeping Naruto and Naomi busy. So far everything was going perfectly. She'd never felt so confident in her arrangements. It was a heady feeling.

The other people she'd invited, Lee, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon arrived just as expected. She made and served tea to everyone while they waited. Lady Tsunade was detailed with bringing Naruto and Naomi at the proper time.

Everyone stood around awkwardly as if they'd never done this before.

Shikamaru kept Choji away from the food. He was already salivating as he studied the buffet of desserts. It didn't matter in the least that he, Shikamaru, and Ino had eaten a hearty barbeque lunch. That was over an hour ago. When Hinata had described all the treats she'd made while he helped bring them over for the party, he'd just grown hungrier in anticipation.

Sakura and Lee weren't arguing as usual. They seemed to have made up their differences. She was holding onto his arm, and he was beaming his pleasure at the company. It was nice to see them a happy, united couple.

Ino was chatting to Kiba. He wasn't doing much chatting back, but he wasn't trying to get away either. She still hadn't gotten him to ask her out, but she had every confidence that they would be going out soon—even if she had to ask him.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon were standing sort of together, but they still hadn't resolved their differences. Udon, in themiddle, looked anxiously from one to the other. Moegi watched Konohamaru out of the corner of her eyes, but barely spoke to him. Konohamaru watched the door for Naomi, and hoped Moegi wouldn't embarrass him by behaving rudely again.

Hinata kept busy serving tea while she awaited Naruto. Now she was suddenly having doubts. Would he like having a surprise birthday party? Would he like the cake she'd made? Would he like her present? Had she remembered to invite everyone he'd want at his party?

But she needn't have worried about anything. When Naruto walked through the door, and everybody yelled '_Happy birthday, Naruto and Naomi!,_' it was the happiest moment of his life.

His mouth gaped open in surprise, then he started grinning. She'd never seen him smile so widely before. "_Wow!_ A birthday party? For me? And Naomi?"

"Of course, Naruto. It's your birthday tomorrow isn't it?" Tsunade asked indulgently. It was nice seeing Naruto the center of attention for a positive reason for a change.

"Yeah, yeah. Nobody ever had a birthday party for me before."

"Hinata planned it."

"Hinata." He looked over at her anxiously looking back at him. His heart swelled. No one had ever done anything like this for him before. No one had ever cared about him the way she seemed to care. He walked towards her brushing quickly through his well wishers, and took her hands in his. "Hinata," he said in a voice breaking with emotion. "Hinata." He didn't know what to say.

"Naruto, are you ready to open your presents or would you rather have cake first?" she asked softly. She'd never seen that look on his face before. He looked dazed. Was he pleased?

"Presents? And cake, too? Wow! Hinata. _Wow!_" She'd told him that she wanted to celebrate Naomi's birthday, and had asked him for a present to give her, but he hadn't even suspected that he was included in the surprise.

"Say '_Let's eat!_' C'mon Naruto, we can't eat until you do," Choji interrupted slapping him on the back. "Happy birthday, buddy."

Choji's interruption seemed to break the spell on Naruto. He turned to the buffet. "Did you bake all this, Hinata? Really?"

"Would you like a piece of cake, Naruto?" she asked shyly.

"Oh, yeah! I want a piece of everything. If you baked it, it's got to be great."

She blushed.

"It all really does look wonderful, Hinata," Sakura added. "Ino and I can serve. Everybody get in line. Naruto and Naomi first," she ordered.

Everybody lined up under Sakura's instructions.

Naruto filled his plate with a sample of everything. Naomi had half as much. Hinata gave them tea, and followed them over to the table filled with presents.

"Are those for me—and Naomi?" he asked her. Nobody had ever given him a birthday present before. Neither of his two adult male role models, Jiraiya and Kakashi had ever taken much stock in birthdays. Everything he had was either earned or won. He didn't even know what people gave for birthday presents, but he was eager to find out.

"I've never had a birthday party," Naomi admitted excitedly. She felt as overwhelmed by the attention as Naruto. She never knew birthdays were acknowledged in this way. It was awesome.

"May this be the first of many for you both," Hinata wished them both. She found it so very sad and touching that these two people, one very dear to her, and one becoming dear to her, should have never had their birth celebrated. She was doubly glad now that she'd arranged this party.

After everyone had demolished all the treats on the buffet, Naruto and Naomi were the center of attention while everyone watched them open presents. There were plants, candy, charms, and books just to name a few things among the gifts.

But the two presents that Naomi cherished the most was a gold, charm bracelet from Naruto, and a blue silk scarf from Konohamaru. Hinata's gift of an intricately carved sandalwood box for keepsakes was also nice, but it didn't have quite the same impact of the other two gifts. She would never forget her first present from her only relative, and her first present from a boy who wasn't related to her at all.

Naruto was thrilled by everything. Just the fact that Shikamaru would buy him a book, Choji a box of chocolates, and Kiba a plant was mind staggering. He couldn't wait to buy everyone a present for their birthdays. But the two gifts he would cherish the most was a new frog purse from Naomi, hand painted to resemble Gama Bunta (she'd confessed that Hinata had helped her with the idea and execution), and the black robe with the orange nine-tailed fox embroidered on the back from Hinata. It was the nicest and fanciest piece of clothing he'd ever owned. He loved it, and put it on immediately to strut happily around his party, thanking his friends for the gifts.

This was the best day of his life, and he had Hinata to thank for it all. He couldn't wait for her birthday so he could show her just how much she meant to him. She was absolutely the most wonderful girl he'd ever known. How lucky he was to have Hinata as a girlfriend. He was happier than he'd ever been in his life.

* * *

Hinata was feeling pretty happy herself.

Naruto and Naomi had been so thrilled by the party that Hinata had basked in their pleasure knowing she was responsible. Nothing had gone wrong. Everyone had been on their best behavior. Everyone had brought wonderful gifts. She'd seen a plan of hers achieve a brilliant success. It was the best day of her life.

Tsunade and Konohamaru had helped Naomi carry her gifts home.

Naruto had carried his booty back to his place. He'd made arrangements to take Hinata to dinner later to thank her privately for a wonderful birthday party.

Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji had helped Hinata carry all the party dishes back to her house. She asked Kiba to take Shino some cake she'd saved for him as a thank you for minding the front gate.

She washed everything, put it away, and was just sitting down to rest before getting ready to go out with Naruto in a few hours, when there was a knock at the door.

Who could it be? She'd already seen almost everyone she knew earlier.

She opened the door, then opened her mouth in surprise at her visitor. Before she could say anything a question was thrown at her that had her completely flummoxed.

"Hinata. Will you marry me?"

THE END


End file.
